Time to Kill
by Iamwhononofyouare
Summary: Ichigo has been fighting Aizen with his new Arrancar and Yhwach and his Stern Ritter in a 3 way war for almost 11 years. With almost everyone dead Ichigo is given a chance (or an order) to go back and change all.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach… to bad. If I did well… some things would be different. **

Time to Kill Chapter 1

The small amount of survivors were huddled together in what little was left of the Seireitei, discussing how best to deal with the Quincy threat and fend off Aizen's now fully evolved Hollow and Arrancar Armies.

"I'll go alone, take them out all in one go." All eyes turned to the speaker, a now war worn, Kurosaki Ichigo.

"It's too risky, Ichigo." Urahara Kisuke replied.

"I know… I have to go anyway; there isn't much of an option anymore."

"We can't let you go alone, if we lose you we lose all." The beaten and bruised form of Hitsugaya could barely keep awake at this point.

"I have a better idea," The speaker, Shiba Isshin looked even worse "why don't we all jump into the Dangai and get hit by the cleaner. Maybe we'll live maybe we won't."

"There are other ways… better ways to die, Goat-Face."

"Let's not do anything too stupid, I agree with Ichigo."

"I agree, let's not do anything you'll regret." Came a voice from no one knew where.

"Who tha-"

"Adieu fools." With that the figure, dressed in black with a dark hood covering the entirety of its features, grabbed Ichigo by the back of his collar and jumped away.

"Who on earth was that? Any ideas, Kisuke?" Isshin questioned.

"Ether it was a Quincy, one of Aizen's, or…" He trailed off.

"Or what?" Toshiro urged.

"Or one of the Royal Guard."

"Oh brilliant, now that we're all dead they decide to step in." Isshin said bitterly.

"Who or what are you?" Ichigo asked his captor.

"Now, now, all in good time my precious."

"I don't know who you are or where you are taking me but if I don't like it your dead."

"Worry not all we offer is a chance to go back and change this… this apocalypse of sorts." As the figure spoke it became clear that the figure was indeed male.

'_That's at least good, would not want to be captured by some girl.'_

'**Haha your funny king, I thought you said you didn't care about peoples genders these days.'**

'Shut up.'

"Cute, so you want me to give up my _wonderful _life to go back and fix your problems."

"Something like that, but think of this as a second chance." As they leapt through the sky the man abruptly came to a stop and pulled out a key.

_An ouken?' _'Mused Ichigo.

'_**It seems so, Ichigo.'**_

'**Hehehe… maybe the soul king is a girl and decided she likes us, kingy.'**

'This is why I told you to shut up.'

The man stuck the key into thin air and twisted, whereupon golden gates, with rather intricate designs, opened and the man walked in.

"Welcome to the Kings Palace, not many come here, consider this an honor." The man said in a much less playful tone.

"Sure fine whatever."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, welcome to my palace!" The voice, which came from a, what was that… regular human world office chair, was feminine.

'**I told ya king, I told ya.'**

'It's seems this vile creature was right, Ichigo-sama'

'_Be quiet for now all of you, ok?'_

'_**As you wish.'**_

'**You're no fun, king'**

'Whatever pleases you pleases me.'

"You're the soul king, I presume." Ichigo said fairly confident he was right.

"Show the king some respect!" The man, who had by now removed his hood revealing his clean shaven face, 1 inch black hair, and somewhat pale skin, ordered.

"Its fine really, leave us." While saying this is king turned around revealing her perfect features and brown shoulder length hair; perfect that is, excluding the similarities to Aizen. The King was wearing a modest purple dress with golden lace at the edges and pilgrim shoes.

"But your Majesty-"

"Leave." With that the man fell through the marble tile floor. "Now, Ichi-chan, how much did that grunt tell you?"

"Just that I am to go back and fix stuff so that the world won't end."

"Well that's pretty much it, though it's far… very far from fun and games."

"Oh? Nothing is never easy, took me a couple of years and a few dozen dead friends to get the message but in the end I got it."

"Yes, I am sorry for what it's worth."

"I chose long ago to forget, your condolences are not needed." The voice of Ichigo turned bitter enough that you could taste it. "Just tell me what you need."

"Well, we have an offer, a req-doesn't matter what I call it, I need you to go back in time and stop Aizen-nii and, when the time comes, the Vandenreich."

'_Aizen-nii eh? Knew they were related.'_

"Ok, how far and what are the consequences?"

"Well how far is up to you, as for the consequences, your reiatsu will be eaten by the Time Warper… 98% of it."

"Sounds fun, when do we start?"

The King snapped her fingers and the man from before rose from the floor.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"Kagane, take our guest to the reiatsu implanting chamber."

"And what rank shall he receive?"

"That of lord"

"Your Majesty!"

"After thousands of years of service you still question my orders?"

"As you say, your Majesty, he shall receive the modifications to his reiatsu for the rank of lord."

Ichigo, if he had not been the half broken man he was would have found this conversation funny, as it was, he found it tedious.

'_I hope that the reiatsu mod doesn't mess up my abilities or kido…'_

"And Kurosaki-san, do not worry, this will not hinder you in anyway it will only provide the right to request an audience with me."

"And other things that we simply do not have time to speak of right now." Kagane added.

"And Kurosaki… don't die, and don't do anything to end up in Muken."

"Right."

"If you would come this way please, Kurosaki-dono."

"Later, your Majesty." Ichigo said as he followed Kagane out of the room.

"Good luck Ichi-chan… do not fail me." The King said quietly after he had gone.

After walking for a few minutes Kagane stopped in front of a door, took out a key, unlocked it, and opened it. Inside it looked much like the 12th's lab did before the war.

"Undress and then put this on." Kagane ordered

Wordlessly the orange haired hybrid did as he was told taking off his black shihakusho, and taking the loose chemical and reiatsu resistant underwear. After putting it on he looked up at Kagane questioningly.

"Step inside this chamber." Kagane said pointing toward one of the vertical tubes. Ichigo did so and waited inside of it with a statue worthy face. After manipulating the computer for a while, a rush of pink liquid filled the container, completely covering Ichigo.

"This won't hurt and you won't drown." He assured. After a minute or so Ichigo felt a surge of reiatsu and the Japanese letters for 'Lord' were imprinted into his spiritual body, his reiastu signature also underwent a minute change. Overall it felt good, after four or five minutes the tube opened up and he fell out.

"Congratulations Lord Kurosaki, you will be ready to use the Time Warper after you put your clothes back on." Ichigo did so and followed Kagane to the Time Warper, which had the shape of a clock with the hour hand at XII the minute hand at IV and the second at VIII.

"Made of gold, huh? Sweet."

'**Maybe we should steal it?'**

'_Maybe we shouldn't, wise guy.'_

"Now, Her Majesty suggested you go back 120 years."

"She did ae? We'll do that then, nobody knows like the Soul King knows." He said with a half-smirk.

Kagane raised an eyebrow a little "Indeed." He said slowly.

'_120 years… none of them will be dead no one will know me but that's good enough for me.'_

'**You won't have any buddies, poor king.'**

'_**It is for the best I suppose.'**_

'My power is your power as always Ichigo-sama.'

'_Thanks guys, off we go.'_

"Alright, I'm ready to start with killing Aizen _before_ he's insanely overpowered." Ichigo said grimly while walking towards the clock.

"No one will know you Lord Kurosaki, but only under the gravest need reveal your rank."

"Will I need a new name, and will I keep my powers?"

"Your name will pose no issue, as for your powers… we have never sent Quincy or Hollow through, so I really cannot say. And remember; do not exert yourself upon arrival, as 98% of your reiatsu will be consumed."

"One more thing before I go; where will I end up?"

"I cannot say, only it will not be in the Dangai or Hueco Mundo."

"Best wishes to the Soul King and yourself. Ja ne."

"Fare thee well Kurosaki-dono"

And with that Kurosaki Ichigo jumped into the Time Warper, which had already been configured for the 120 year jump.

"Whoever took Ichigo better bring him back or get their face kicked in!" exclaimed Isshin.

The world was black one moment green the next and white then yellow then blue then purple… Just STOP! And with that Ichigo lost consciousness.

"Now, Urahara Kisuke, show us the skills that were recommended by Shihoin Yoruichi Captain of the- what is this?" Yamamoto Genryuusai did not often cut himself off, then again unconscious orange haired shinigamis didn't appear out of nowhere at every Captain's test.

"Oh dear, a scarred red head out of nothing Kisuke, it must be your lucky day." Yoruichi joked.

"He seems to be in need of medical attention, Unohana-taichou if you please." Kuchiki Ginrei was just as puzzled as the rest of them as to who this man was; nevertheless if the man died so would their answers.

"Dear me yes he does, I will attend to it at once." Unohana said in her usual calm tone of voice. Getting up she immediately began healing the man.

"Urahara Kisuke, due to these unprecedented circumstances this test will be postponed until tomorrow at 4pm." Yamamoto's voice was authoritative signifying that this decision was final.

"Y-Yes" Urahara's voice was slightly timid.

"Come on Kisuke, we're going. Unohana-taichou let me know when it's okay to talk to the orangey."

Unohana nodded and with that Yoruichi followed by Urahara left the room.

"Most peculiar, however my squads duties will not give time enough to wait for this one to regain consciousness, I bid you farewell." Ginrei then left heading in the direction of the 6th squad's barracks.

"Under no circumstances let the young 'un here leave until I have personally questioned him." Slowly the already standing sou-taichou left the room after saying these words.

"Hai, sou-taichou."

**2 Hours Later Squad 4 Barracks**

"We're finished Unohana-taichou."

"Good, inform the sou-taichou, our guest will be waking up soon."

"Right away."

'_Still…' _mused Unohana _'it is very strange, two zanpakutou and both seem completely different from each other.'_

"A..i..en" Groaned an incoherent Ichigo.

"Don't strain yourself." The ever kind voice of Unohana calmed.

"Who- ah"

'_That's right, I came back, she's not dead yet, none of them are.'_

'_**It seems so Ichigo.'**_

'**Just means we can watch 'em all die again.' **His hollow madly cackled.

'Silence bloodthirsty brute. Even if you are a part of Ichigo I find your insanity unbearable.'

'_Anyway, considering Aizen's spy flies and Kagane's instructions we won't be telling anyone much.'_ At this Zangetsu nodded.

'**Laaaame, I say we just blow the hatch and take 'em out.'**

'_Yeah but at this point the Soul Society would execute us or throw us in Muken. Both of which were expressly forbidden.'_

'_**We must wait for our chance.'**_

'Aizen has caused you so much pain Ichigo-sama, I will find it hard to restrain myself but I shall if you wish it.'

"Where am I?" Ichigo's was laced with the pain his body was feeling.

"Soul Society, 4th division barracks."

"I see, can I get my zanpakutous back now?" Ichigo had reached for them and looked around the room for them but hadn't seen them.

"I am afraid not, they are safe I assure you but until we know who you are we'll have to keep them."

"Well… unless they're in a very powerful barrier I find it unlikely that they'll stay away." Ichigo said quietly with a slightly amused tone.

Unohana raised an eyebrow slightly at this. 'A zanpakutou that can return to its master beyond line of sight and reiatsu radius, not common at all.'

'_Whoops, slipped already this is gonna be a long day. And don't do what my previous comment implied you'd try, please.'_

'Very well.' The voice showed clearly that its owner was disappointed at this.

'**Che'**

"So what now…interrogations?"

"How insightful, yes that seems to be next on the list-"She left off hoping to get his name.

"No harm in telling you I suppose. The name is Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Well then, Kurosaki-san, wait here and your 'questioner' will arrive." The man's eyes showed various emotions, most were in the relieved, happy, calm… the most prominent however was resolution. But on closer inspection one could see that there was pure hate of someone or something.

"Unohana-taichou the sou-taichou has arrived." Informed her fukutaichou.

"Very well then, Kurosaki-san, I shall leave him to it." Saying this in her usual tone she left the room and bowed to the sou-taichou as he entered.

Ichigo yawned, Yamamoto was such a pain to answer questions to, he wouldn't let you skip over them like some others would. Sitting up on his bed he looked over… heh he looked the same as 100 years from now.

"I am Yamamoto Genryusai and you will be answering my questions." His voice was just the same as always too.

"First, my name is Kurosaki Ichigo." Yamamoto raised a practiced eyebrow ever so slightly at the young man's forwardness.

Ignoring it for now he began. "How is it that you appeared inside the 1st division barracks without anyone knowing?"

"Good point, I didn't even know that's where I showed up."

"What method did you use to get into the Seireitei?" Yamamoto was a smart man; he knew that at this point the orange head could just tell him he was unconscious for the whole thing.

"I'd prefer if we talked where no one is eaves dropping."

"Very well-"

"Actually its fine now, I casted a quick privacy spell pretty convenient, huh?"

"So then, I will ask again, how did you get here?"

"Long story, top secret too."

The age old sou-taichou was already forming a rather unfavorable impression of Kurosaki by now. He was however impressed by the still rising spiritual pressure exuded by him.

"Hmmm… then how is it that you unbeknownst to us have such a high reiatsu level?"

'_Ah crap, forgot to rein it in."_

Instantly the reiatsu leakage stopped to a nigh imperceptible level. This the sou-taichou duly noted as one of the interesting facts about Ichigo.

"How is it that you have two separate zanpakutou spirits?" Two of his own students were dual wielders but their spirits were not like this.

"Now that I can answer, basically the second one decided that his master was unworthy of him and as he was about to disappear he heard my voice and latched onto me." Ichigo said matter-of-factly.

"Strange, to say the least. Why are you here?" Yamamoto decided to leave his initial questions unanswered for now.

"About that, end Aizen and any other threats to the Soul Society as they appear." Ichigo really wondered why he told the old guy anything, but he had to know sometime.

"You speak of Aizen Sosuke Lieutenant of squad 5?" Shigekuni was perplexed by now but as a good old sou-taichou should he didn't show it.

"Yeah, traitor to the Soul Society and… killer of some good friends." At the last bit Ichigo's voice grew bitter and sad.

"Is that so?" Yamamoto was infected, he didn't know why but he was filled with the impression that the boy was telling the truth. This was further reinforced by the fact that Ichigo's eyes had flashed with hate and fury when he said Aizen's name.

"It is so." Ichigo said flatly, this was clearly one of his less liked topics of conversation.

"You are aware of course that we cannot convict him of anything without proof."

"I am. However my orders are to kill him, my own desires are to kill him, and the laws of the Seireitei have little meaning where I come from."

"Which brings us back, where do you come from?" Yamamoto hoped that the young shinigami was opening up to him now.

"It's not where actually, it's when." Ichigo said cryptically.

At the implications of this Yamamoto could barely contain his wonderment. But he did and continued on. "It cannot be stressed too highly that you _must not_ act without proof."

"As I said, proof is secondary but I will hold off for a few years, we have them at least if my arrival has not upset the timeline." That was the problem with time travel, everything changed by some amount at every motion the added entity made.

"I presume you want your zanpakutou back now?" The bearded man asked seeing that they were nearly done here.

"Yes I do. And jii-san, don't tell anyone or even ponder out loud what I have just told you."

Yamamoto resisted the urge to snort; this was by far the least respectful shinigami he had ever encountered. Instead he raised an eyebrow and said: "Work on your respectfulness, young 'un."

"Sure, sou-taichou-san. Let me know when I can go, being cooped up doesn't suit me." He joked.

"Unohana-taichou will let you go when she sees that you are medically ready." Even Yamamoto wasn't stupid enough to pull a patient out of her care without her consent. After saying this he left the room to inform the Captain of squad four of this turn of events.

Unohana entered the room, "I really do hope you didn't exert yourself Kurosaki-san." She said upon noticing the low reiatsu output in one of her… meaningful tones. Then she also realized that it was there it just was being kept in at onmitsukido worthy levels.

"Better than ever, Unohana-taichou."

"I see, how nice, but you aren't going anywhere until you're ready." She smiled.

"Uh… yeah, no problem."

'**Che, you're pathetic king.'**

'You are a part of Ichigo, whatever he feels you feel therefore you partake in his so called patheticness.'

'**Bleh, you guys are boring when are we gonna get some blood!?'**

'_Your bloodlust never ceases to amaze me.'_

'**Even though you've been listening to me for eleven blessed years?'**

'_That's right, hollow-chan."_

'**I am takin' a nap.' **His hollow said in a voice full of boredom.

'_**Ichigo, if you need us we'll know, remember to look forward.'**_

'_Yeah, thanks Zangetsu.'_

**With Yoruichi and Kisuke**

"So, Kisuke did you know the orange head?"

"Pardon my interruption, but who do you speak of Yoruichi-sama?" Soi Fon asked.

"6 foot tall, orange hair, scar from over his right eye down to the left corner of his lip, and here's the real kicker, dual zanpakutou." As she finished it was clear that this got Soi Fon's attention.

"Never heard of him," She bowed slightly as she spoke. "Anything else I should know?"

"As I have been telling you for the last 2 hours, Yoruichi-taichou, I don't know him." Kisuke himself genius that he was, was still very much ignorant as to how a shinigami had appeared in front of them all without anyone the wiser until it happened. It stunk of conspiracy in his humble opinion.

"Well it curious to say the least but the sou-taichou himself is handling the questioning so we won't get our hands on the specimen for a while." Yoruichi sounded disappointed.

"Shall we investigate this, Yoruichi-sama?" Soi Fon asked; eager to please.

"I see no need… say Kisuke you've been strangely silent this whole time."

"Ah uh hmmm… I guess you could say I was thinking about the whole thing." He explained.

"Oh, so you are interested!" She laughed then sobered… who wouldn't wonder what happened to upset their captaincy test after all. In fact, as far as she knew, it had never happened before.

Aizen was bewildered, never in all of his plans or contingencies had he expected anything like this. He however was for to intelligent to miss the first incoherent words the newcomer had spoken: 'A..i…en'. Yes whoever it was he was a threat, and threats have to die.

"Gin!" He called.

"Hai, Aizen-fukutaichou." He answered.

"I want you to investigate this man here." And he showed a picture long enough for Ichimaru to memorize it and then destroyed it.

"No problem, Aizen-fukutaichou." The, at this time still tiny, form of Ichimaru Gin answered; his creepy smile not diminishing in the least.

"Most unexpected… how unpleasant." Aizen said as Gin's retreating form left him to his thoughts. One thing was for sure he knew nothing about the red head and ignorance did not sit well with him. Aizen was also far too intelligent to try to kill him before he had any idea what the newcomer's abilities were.

**1 Hour Later 13****th**** Divisions Barracks**

"Hey Ukitake, you know all those rumors going around?" Kyouraku asked as he entered Ukitake's office, carrying sake of course.

"You mean the ones about the shinigami that appeared out of nowhere?" Juushiro was fairly sure this is what he meant but it didn't hurt to confirm.

"Yup, that's the one. Now it's definite, he's a dual wielder like us." Kyouraku said suggestively; while taking a seat and pouring out sake for himself and his longtime friend.

"Really…" Ukitake pondered for a moment. "How does he wear them, or did you even see?"

Shunsui downed his bowl of sake. "Actually I did, one over his right shoulder and the other at his right side."

"Not common… then again; including him there are only 3 dual wielders. And as for myself, mine is single in its sealed state."

"Yes… I'll have to see if I can yank him over to talk over a drink." Kyouraku had let out a little of his enthusiasm by this time, not much but a little.

"I suppose I would not be adverse to that myself. Though we really don't know how good he is with alcohol yet." Ukitake was, as was not uncommon, trying to keep everyone sober.

"I'll have to see if Shinji will join us." Then Kyouraku plunged into his usual conversations that we will not be seeing at this time.

**With Ichigo**

He was by now very uncomfortable with all the stares he was getting. Not that he shouldn't have expected them; the rumor mill of the Seireitei had always been well kept up.

'_Uggg, can we go somewhere where we won't get stared at?'_

'**Or we could just kill'em all and be done with it.'**

'_I rather think that Yama-jii didn't give us our zanpakutous back so that we can slaughter his subordinates.'_

'_**Yes we should go somewhere else so as to not disrupt the flow of time.'**_

Ichigo paused in thought for a moment. _'I have an idea; we can go to Yoruichi's training area at Sokyoku hill.'_

'It is plausible.'

'**Funny, so you guys fancy facing Unohana when we come back?'**

'_Geh, no I don't you're right.' _Ichigo was not happy with the voice of reason being his inner hollow.

At this point one of the braver, (or stupider), Gotei 13 members came up to him.

"Who are you?" The man interrogated, by now it was fairly evident that he was from squad 11 by his attitude. The man had mid-length brown hair and was wearing the standard black shihakusho.

"No one in particular." A few years into the war he had found out how funny it was to mess with the squad eleven people, the few that were alive at that point that is. This brought to mind the death of Ikkaku.

**Flashback**

The Seireitei was half-destroyed at this point with most of what remained being centered around the 4th, 1st, and the tower in which Rukia had been held.

"They're coming again!" Yelled one of the 12th squad, who had been watching the Garganta monitor.

"Let them come, I'll kill all the ba-" The voice was cut off by an Arrancar's zanpakutou cutting the speaker's head off.

"I hope you're a good fight, Arrancar! Extend, Hozukimaru!" Ikkaku screamed out.

"Heh, as if you could put up any sort of fight against me." The Arrancar said proudly.

"Madarame Ikkaku, remember that name, it is the name of the one who will kill you!" With this Madarame charged him.

"I will not even grace you with my name, worm." The Arrancar said as he used sonido to appear behind Ikkaku.

"Not bad, but you'll have to be faster than that!" He yelled as he turned and deflected the attack, after which he started rapidly poking his spear at the Arrancar.

"Useless shinigami." The Arrancar, who had a mask which covered its nose and passed under its eyes but over the Arrancar's mouth, muttered. This particular Arrancar had longer than shoulder length purple hair and a proud and calm attitude.

"Let's get it on! Split, Hozukimaru!" As the spear divided the Arrancar was unable to dodge but the blade was unable to cut through the hierro. This caused Ikkaku to go wide eyed for a moment. His foe was too smart to not notice this. A smirk came to the Arrancar's face as he slashed across Madarame's body, causing the Soul Reaper to lose a decent amount of blood at making him pant.

"Baaaankai!" After the smoke cleared it revealed Ikkaku, holding his 3 section bankai form.

"A bankai? It matters not; you only prolong your demise." The Arrancar said ever confident in his abilities but by no means underestimating his opponent. He used his fasted sonido and stabbed Ikkaku though, entering one side and the tip just protruding out the other.

"Hahahaha!" Madarame's insanity was a good second to Zaraki's own. "Not bad Arrancar!" He yelled as he swung his right hand blade over, cutting off the Arrancar's arm and forcing him to draw back.

"Your willpower will only keep you moving for so long, shinigami, you will succumb." The Arrancar stated as he jumped forward and slashed at Ikkaku, who with a slight effort parried the attack. It was then Madarame's turn to make a move and he started yelling and wildly slashing at the enemy before him.

As the dragon emblem on the blade across Ikakku's back began to fill with red his spiritual pressure rose. "As the dragon becomes red my attacks become stronger until when it fully fills. Then I can attack at full power!" He yelled as he began swing his weapon around above his head creating a slight wind.

"It matters little." The Arrancar said quietly as he raised his sword and at its tip began charging a light green cero. The Arrancar released it and before Ikkaku could move to defend or finishing charging his weapon it swept down upon him and engulfed him in its atomizing heat.

Ichigo had watched the whole thing transpire and was filled with dread because of the might of the new Arrancar. He had not moved in to help because he had been unable to move due to wounds he had sustained in a previous fight. At this point Quincy arrows shot toward the Arrancar and he blasted off towards them with sonido after sparing a glance to the med bay.

**End Flashback**

"Hey you! Don't go spacing out on me after refusing to answer my question, punk!" The man was quite obviously annoyed.

"Sorry." Ichigo said and left the still yelling man at a rate that quite a few of the watchers could not perceive.

'_I think I'll ask Yama-jii what I should do in the meantime.'_ Ichigo thought to himself

'**Better idea, go through all the barracks and kick ass all the way to the first and then demand a bed. Who knows you might actually get tired.'**

'_Somewhat arrogant to think I can beat twelve squads at not even half strength.'_

'_**Not even over a quarter strength actually, you underestimate yourself.'**_

'It's better to slightly underestimate yourself but in this case Zangetsu is right.'

'_Sigh… will you guys ever stop telling me stuff like this that I need to hear?'_ Ichigo started out serious but decided to turn it into a joke.

'**Well if we ain't killin' anything I'll go nap or something.'**

'_If you want I can fight you tonight, as long as I have enough power to cast a barrier so people won't feel the spiritual pressure.'_

'**I look forward to it, king.' **The hollow was sounding rather content.

'Why you humor this creature I will never fully understand.'

'_Don't sweat it.'_ As the spirits could feel whatever Ichigo felt they knew he wished this to be the conclusion to their conversation.

"Here we are." He said under his breath, the big gates of the First Division had always been intimidating, but now they just filled him with pleasant nostalgia. A smile of contentment spread across his face as he made to open the gate and go in but he has interrupted.

"What's got you so happy, baldy, huh!" A well-remembered voice came from a short girl with pale blond hair and pigtails. This wiped the pleasant nostalgia away in an instant. Hiyori had become too exhausted to kick people around about a year into the war and died a few months later, but right now she had more than enough.

"You don't even know me and already insult me, not a wise course of action. Trust me I learned the hard way." Ichigo stated calmly, even though he knew what came next.

"You're lecturing me even though you don't know me? Stupid baldy with no reiatsu!" She screamed as she quickly grabbed her sandal and made to slap him with it.

"To slow." He said simply and charged into the First's courtyard area followed by a profanity yelling Hiyori.

"I'm here to see Yamamoto-sou-taichou." He said to an attendant after getting a lead on Sarugaki by using a fast shunpo.

"And you are?" The man asked raising an eyebrow.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He answered and walked past him knowing full well where Yamamoto's office was and not caring for the whole announcing thing, not to mention that Hiyori was still screaming at him.

"Wai-!" The man began but cut himself off as Ichigo disappeared from his sight in a flurry of shunpo.

"Hmmm." The attendant was perplexed, he didn't know who that man was but he seemed to know the Captain Commander.

"Where'd he go?" Hiyori accosted.

"Who?" The man was still trying to put his thoughts in order.

"Beh, if I see that baldy again, he's dead!" With that a very irritated blonde lieutenant left.

"What was that all about?" The guard wondered out loud. Shaking it off his just resumed his stoic stance.

"For what purpose have you come here, Kurosaki Ichigo?" The old man asked in his usual tone.

"Just wanted to know what I'll be doing in the meantime." Ichigo stated, with the honesty in his words being clear.

"I suppose I had not thought of that." Yamamoto admitted. He was not one to omit things but he had to admit; this time he had.

"Yeah gets kinda boring playing invalid, I've had enough of it for a few life times already."

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow slightly at this; he had not expected the young shinigami to open up to him much without pressuring him.

"In that case… I really am at a loss; I've never had to deal with a case like yours." The sou-taichou really was perplexed; everything about this boy and his circumstances perplexed him.

"I would have a spar with someone but I know Unohana would not approve, her anger isn't something I want to risk." There were only about 5 Soul Reapers who had gotten Ichigo's respect, Unohana was one of them.

"I see, perhaps get acquainted with the Seireitei then." Yamamoto suggested.

"Maybe… That and some jinzen perhaps." Ichigo finished.

"In your state?" Genryusai was quite aware that Kurosaki was far from 100%.

"I've taken on about 50 Quincy in worse state than this." Ichigo said truthfully without any pride.

"We will have to talk about that at a different time. For now though go in peace." Yamamoto had taken to heart the words Ichigo had spoken about spying.

"Right, later then jii-san." Ichigo said and hopped away.

Yamamoto was again unimpressed by the visored's lack of respect for authority. Then again everyone went through a stage like that, some longer than others.

**8****th**** Division**

"Stop drinking sake you lazy bum and do your paperwork!"

"Ahh Lisa-chan, just one day ok? Kyouraku pleaded.

"You say that every day!" Lisa Yadomaru, Kyouraku fukutaichou, practically screamed at him.

"But today is special." Shunsui said with conviction.

"Why would that be?" Lisa had calmed down somewhat at the rare sight of a somewhat serious Kyouraku.

"Because today the world got its 3rd living dual wielding shinigami." He stated

"Oh, who?" Lisa asked, somewhat interested.

"By what I could get out of Yama-jii, it seems his name is Kurosaki Ichigo."

"What! The newest dual wielder is just some strawberry?" Lisa almost laughed.

"Not 'just some', he appeared out of nowhere in the middle of a captaincy test and only Yama-jii knows anything about him." Kyouraku said, falling into thought as he did so. Then his thoughts were broken off as he saw the figure of the topic of discussion passing by.

"There he is now!" He yelled out jumped out with a muttered 'be right back'.

Lisa just sighed, why had she ever accepted this lazy pervert's lieutenancy? Always running off and pushing his work onto her.

Ichigo looked up to see the reiatsu signature that was rapidly approaching him and recognized it instantly. He smiled slightly. Kyouraku had been the one to train him in how to wield two blades; he had been a hard but very effective teacher. He also was one of the few who had earned his respect.

"Care to join me for a drink?" Shunsui asked holding a bottle of sake.

"Sure, where?" Ichigo asked lowering his head almost imperceptibly when he acknowledged Kyouraku's presence.

"Ah good, just follow me." Kyouraku had not failed to notice the way Ichigo acted. Noting it, he started out towards the 8th's barracks.

"Soooo, mind telling me how it is you got two zanpakutou?" Kyouraku asked as they continued walking.

"Same as you-." Ichigo was smart enough to just say someone he hadn't met in this timelines name.

"Kyouraku Shunsui, and you?" The Captain responded seeing that here he was to introduce himself. "Ah, almost forgot I am also the Captain of squad 8."

"Rather a large omission, Kyouraku…-taichou." Ichigo almost missed the honorific and cursed himself inwardly for it.

"But I should tell you my name, its Kurosaki Ichigo. But you can just call me Ichigo." He said politely.

"How good are you with alcohol?" Kyouraku asked after noting the near omission of the honorific.

"Good enough for you." Ichigo said with a smirk.

"I like it, a sense of humor." Shunsui said, smirking back. At this point they arrived at the barracks at entered Kyouraku's office.

"Please sit, Ichigo." Kyouraku said motioning to a cushion at one side of the mid-shin height table.

"Thank you." Ichigo said with a slight inclination of his head and did so.

'_From what I got out of Yama-ji,i I was expecting this guy to be a little less formal.' _Kyouraku mused, wondering what the cause could be.

"So tell me about yourself, Ichigo." Kyouraku said as he poured out sake for both of them.

"Lazy." Lisa muttered as she left with a stack of paperwork.

"Ah, that was my pretty Lisa-chan, fukutaichou to squad eight." Kyouraku explained.

"I see." Ichigo said with a slightly sad smile. Yadomaru had died protecting Shunsui from a very powerful Arrancar's ultimate attack.

"But you really should get on with telling me about yourself, Ichigo." Kyouraku said slightly playfully, although he had not missed the slight amount of sadness in Ichigo's smile.

"Fine… not." Ichigo said and then downed his sake.

"What can I do to change your mind? Women, sake,… a good fight? I really am quite curious you know." Kyouraku half-pleaded with a mock pained expression and voice.

"All will be revealed in good time." Ichigo said cryptically.

"And when would that be?" Kyouraku asked, pouring out more sake, somewhat disappointed.

"In about eight or ten years." Ichigo said truthfully.

"So long, oh well I guess I can wait a little if you insist; but I won't stop bugging you about it until you do tell." Kyouraku smiled and downed his sake before pouring himself some more.

Ichigo sighed, so like Kyouraku to get curious and not relent.

"So tell me the name of your zanpakutou, at least you can do that much."

"I don't think so; there are forces around us that I'd rather they didn't know." Ichigo stated seriously and drank his bowlful before getting some more.

"Curious, I don't suppose you'd tell me who?" Kyouraku said as he swirled his sake and then drank it and got himself some more.

"Nope, not happening." Ichigo said with finality.

"You only make me more curious, Ichigo." Kyouraku smiled.

"You can continue that way then, taichou." Ichigo smirked back; Shunsui had always made rather pleasant company.

"On a different note, will you be joining one of the squads?" Kyouraku inquired.

"I don't know, didn't really think about yet I suppose." Ichigo said as he stared into his sake.

"Well if you do you should really consider the 8th, I can even teach some of my two sword techniques." Kyouraku offered.

"I-I'll think about it." Ichigo stuttered as he remembered the way in which Kyouraku had died, the most heroic way possible. He had held off 80 adjuchas strength hollows by himself for an entire hour before succumbing to their onslaught, having taken out all but a few. Ichigo had seen him fall, his bloody and half-gutted form being obliterated by the remaining hollows cero's.

'_No, I mustn't think like that he's here now and alive.'_ Ichigo told himself.

'_**This time you will save them all? Is that what you tell yourself?' **_Zangetsu asked. _**'You take too much upon yourself Ichigo, you cannot do it alone.'**_

'_I can and I will.'_ Ichigo said with confidence.

'You are powerful, very powerful, but you cannot save everyone. Accept it now and save yourself the grief when you fail.

'**Or kill'em all yourself and don't regret a thing, king.'** The hollow maintained its insane smirk.

'_I am in the middle of a conversation with Kyouraku, later guys.'_

"Ichigo?"

"Hmmm?" Ichigo said raising a questioning eyebrow.

"You were spacing out." Kyouraku explained.

"Ah yeah, sorry, zanpakutou was talking to me." Ichigo told him.

"Interesting." Kyouraku said to quietly to be heard.

"I won't ask what it, or they, was saying. Since you'd probably just say '8 or ten years taichou-san!'" Shunsui pretended to be hurt.

Ichigo snorted amusedly. "You guess accurately, taichou." He said with an amused glint in his eye.

"Ah… it really has been fun Ichigo-san but I'm afraid my lieutenant will kill me if I don't hurry up and do my paperwork." Kyouraku sighed as he spoke.

"Perhaps at a later date. Eight or ten years perchance." Ichigo joked

Kyouraku laughed and stood up, on action mimicked my Ichigo. "Where can I expect to find you?" He asked.

"Yama-jii told me that he has to know where I am at all times, so if you ask him I'm sure he'll know." Ichigo told him.

"I see, well then until later my friend." Kyouraku said.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Kyouraku-taichou." Ichigo said as he then left in a flicker of moderate shunpo.

"Taichou! Stop drinking and do your work!" Lisa yelled at him when she saw that Ichigo had left.

"Sigh…. I suppose it has to be done some time." He said as his face fell.

Ichigo wandered around, he had come back to end things and yet all he was doing was being bored. Renji wasn't even in the academy yet. Byakuya wasn't even married yet let alone having his wife die. Gin… he was just barely out and already at his stupid assassin act. As for Gin's sweetheart, Rangiku, Ichigo supposed she would be a second year or just joining at this point. Dad… his own dad and mom wouldn't have any idea who he was, heck his mom could even be in her cycle _before_ the one where she was his mom… her soul that is. But at this he was broken out of his musings.

Ichigo squinted. "Heh, just like Aizen to send Gin to spy on me already." He muttered.

Than an idea hit him, why not kidnap his little friend and have a nice little talk. The more he thought about it the more he liked it.

**A few minutes ago, Gin's view.**

'_There he is.' _Gin thought to himself.

"I wonder what kind of guy he is to attract Aizen's attention." He said _very quiet_ly to himself.

His target appeared to be wandering aimlessly. Ichimaru really couldn't understand what about this orange haired Soul Reaper attracted Aizen's attention but the man was certainly out of luck.

'_Oh well, Aizen wants him watched so I am more than willing to please.'_

Here his target for observation, Kurosaki Ichigo was it, stopped and seemed to be in deep thought. Then it abruptly stopped and he glanced over at Gin. Then with an amused glint in his eyes he looked over again at started running toward him breaking into shunpo.

'_Oh boy, I'm found well might as well play the role of curious little kid.' _For Gin was quite the pint-sized 3rd seat.

With a false look of apprehension Ichimaru looked at the approaching form of Ichigo.

"Hey kid, let's get acquainted shall we?" Ichigo said cheerfully, although it was worded like a question and outwardly seemed like one on slightly closer inspection it was clear that it was more of a demand.

"U-uhh sorry for staring at ya, mister." Ichimaru said, going through with his act.

"Listen, I already know that Aizen sent you to spy on me. Pick a secluded spot to talk about it." Ichigo suggested nicely… a little too nicely for Gin's liking.

At this Gin was slightly taken aback and his smile faltered for a moment. "Aizen-fukutaichou?" Gin decided he might as well at least try to keep his act up.

"You aren't picking the spot then? Cool we'll go to my spot then." Ichigo simply ignored Gin's rhetorical question.

"Woa!" Ichimaru yelped as Ichigo caught his small form up in his arm and took off for the 13th Division.

"Why are you heading to the 13th?" Ichimaru finally decided to drop the act and really was curious as to their destination.

"Oh I don't know, maybe because the Captain there will be kind enough to give us some privacy." Ichigo said this with confidence his cheerful demeanor not faltering at all through this whole ordeal.

"You know him?" Ichimaru knew from what he had heard that Ichigo had only been in the Seireitei for a matter of hours.

"Not quite… but let's just say I know how he is." Ichigo said, confusing Ichimaru even more.

"How could that be?" Gin asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"All in good time, once we're behind closed doors and a kido barrier too."

Gin was really puzzled now, what could possibly call for such drastic measures to ensure no one eavesdropped? Pondering over it he stopped asking questions.

"Here we are." Ichigo said setting down the fox-face, knocking at the same time.

"Who have we here?" A man with dark spiky hair, and looking very similar to Ichigo, asked as he opened the door.

"Ichimaru Gin and Kurosaki Ichigo, all we need is a room to talk things over for an hour or so." Ichigo told the man.

Ichimaru opened an eye when he heard his name spoken as if there was no reason the man shouldn't know it.

Kaien raised an eyebrow somewhat at Ichigo's request; but he wasn't one to turn someone away nor was he one to stutter unduly. "Right… ok that's fine you guys can just use my room, just don't wreck it."

"No problem, and thanks." Ichigo said as he walked over to the lieutenant's quarters, carrying Gin again.

"Weird dudes, guess I'll go tell the Captain about all this." Shiba-fukutaichou said to himself and went over to the Captain's room.

Ichigo walked into the room and quickly cast a kido barrier that would prevent pretty much anything from leaving or entering, including sound.

"Now that we're in here we might as well get straight to the point." Ichigo said dropping the cheerful attitude and becoming deadly serious, something that was not lost upon Gin.

"Why did you bring me here?" Of all the many questions that Gin had this was the most prominent.

"Simple. No need to take orders from that murderer anymore." Ichigo used the word murderer for a very specific purpose, that's what Gin knew him to be so it would get the point across that he knew what Aizen was up to.

Gin narrowed his eyes, was that even possible? "How do you know about Aizen?"

"Not quite the same as you." Ichigo debated whether or not to tell Gin or not for a moment. "Listen kid, what I am about to tell you I haven't even told the sou-taichou."

With this Ichigo went into the rather lengthy story of the war, how he got his shinigami powers, everyone who died (Gin was one of them), that he had come back in time, and that he was here to kill Aizen. However Ichigo left a decent amount out of the story, like that it was the Soul King that had sent _him_ back. Ichigo also told him how to escape Kyoka Suigetsu's power.

Gin had always had a bit of a curious nature as well as being insightful so he didn't miss that some things had been left out.

"Yes, but how did you come back and who provided the means?" Gin asked. He had been interested in the story to the point where he forgot to keep his grin on.

"Hey hey, I left that out for a reason Gin. And you know you aren't creepily smirking like usual right?" Ichigo asked, he had very few chances to see Ichimaru like this and boy was he not gonna pass it up.

"Then why were you chosen to be the one to come back; why not someone else?" Gin said, putting back on his smile.

"I… I don't know, I never even thought of that. Maybe it's 'cause I'm known for doing the impossible." Ichigo was thrown for a loop by the sliver-haired kid's question, he truly had not thought of that before.

"And why tell me? You have no way of knowing that I won't tell Aizen all of this to try and gain more of his trust."

"I know that, I thought that through believe me." Ichigo said with a serious expression of his face.

"But I don't even care if he knows; at this point nothing he can do can stop me." He continued.

"I see… anything else I should know time-traveler-san?" Gin asked, his smirk widening slightly.

"No Gin, that's all for now. But if you need training let me know." Ichigo said without any deceitfulness.

"Come to think of it you haven't answered my question. Why tell me?" He reiterated.

"Because Gin, and this has always been my opinion of you, you don't have to waste years of your life trying to find a way time and place to kill Aizen." Ichigo said, evidently even 11 years of war were not enough to make him lose all of his heart.

"Can I go then, Ichigo-sensei?" Pleasing people was what Gin tried to do at this point in his life, for better or for worse.

"Calling me sensei already? How nice of you; yes you can go now." Ichigo said with a smile playing on his lips as he lifted the barrier.

As Gin left Ichigo called out to him. "I didn't tell you this so you could get yourself killed, or so that you would help me when the time comes. Remember that."

At this Gin turned around with a contemplative look for a couple seconds then nodded and took off.

**With Kaien.**

"So you're telling me that the weird new guy looks like you except for the scar and hair color?" Ukitake asked.

"That's right, taichou." Kaien said; he was just as puzzled as his captain.

"Anything else about him?"

"I was just getting there. He just came up, with that creepy kid, Ichimaru was it? And requested a private place to speak with him."

"If he wanted to speak to the 3rd seat of the 5th why not do it at the 5th?" Ukitake wondered out loud.

"That's what I want to know, what's more is that the Kurosaki guy knows how to put up one really powerful barrier, kido corps fukutaichou worthy." Kaien told him, he really was getting curious and had way more questions than answers.

"That good… who is he really? I think Shunsui mentioned something about inviting the guy over for a drink. He might know more than we do." Ukitake mentioned.

"We have to make sure to be there for the next time." Kaien said good-naturedly.

"Next time?"

"Well if Kyouraku wants a drink with someone and tells someone else about it he's bound to do it rather quickly." The dark-haired Shiba explained.

"Maybe we should ask Kurosaki ourselves." Ukitake suggested.

"I would say a resounding yes but I wouldn't want to put the guy through telling his story 20 times over. Kaien said, thoughtful as sometimes about how other people felt.

"Yes you're right, Kaien." Juushiro said and then they went on with paperwork and talking more about Kurosaki.

**A while later.**

"I didn't tell you this so you could get yourself killed, or so that you would help me when the time comes. Remember that." Came an unfamiliar voice from the lieutenant's room.

"I suppose that they are done know taichou, though it is a little unsettling that they are talking about killing." Kaien muttered that last bit. His ears perking up at the voice which he supposed was Kurosaki.

The door slid open and the orange haired shinigami came in unceremoniously.

"Thanks for the use of your room… Ah! You must be Kaien." Ichigo blurted out.

"Uh-huh, sure am but how do you know my name?" Kaien asked him.

"I uh… I heard that the 13th's fukutaichou was a Shiba Kaien." Ichigo said. It was true he supposed, though most people would guess wrongly in how it was true.

"Who told you that?" Kaien asked, genuinely curious as to who would have told Ichigo.

"Oh… heh, you wouldn't know her." Ichigo said truthfully.

"Then why should she mention me?" Kaien interrogated.

"Really, I think we should stop prodding our new friend, Kaien." Ukitake said with a smile.

"Hai. Sorry about that Kurosaki-san." Apologized the spiky haired lieutenant.

"Thank you, taichou. Don't sweat it, Shiba-fukutaichou." Ichigo said as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Kaien called.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow as he turned back around to face the cheerful Shiba.

"What for?" He asked him.

"Don't you want to get to know the mentioned-by-people-he-doesn't-even-know great Vice-captain of squad thirteen?" Kaien asked with a smile at his own well thought out joke.

"Funny Kaien… But yeah, ok. And just call me Ichigo, both of you." Ichigo said entering the room the room and taking a seat.

"Sure Ichigo." Kaien said over-excitedly.

"Please; make yourself at home, Ichigo." Ukitake said with a smile, a real smile.

And so they talked for a little while, Ichigo being very careful not to reveal much about himself to them. Then he excused himself telling the two of them that he was tired, which was somewhat true, and needed to rest. So the white-haired Captain and his cheerful fukutaichou sent him on his way back to the 4th.

"Welcome back Kurosaki-san." Unohana said so sweetly it was scary.

"Uh… Right. I think I am gonna get some sleep, thank you for your care." He replied.

"My pleasure." She smiled, a less scary smile, and went to check on some of her other patients.

Ichigo went to his private invalid room and lay down with his hands under his head.

'_Gotta admit; Unohana-taichou can be really scary when she wants to.'_

'**I hate to say it but you got that right.'** Echoed the ever 'friendly' voice of Ichigo's hollow.

'The one called Unohana Retsu has always impressed me.'

Zangetsu stayed silent.

'_When do you suppose I can train… and where?'_

'**Let's not train king, let's kill; heck at full power you can beat that grumpy guy who calls himself Yamamoto.'**

'_So he managed to make even you respect his power?'_ Ichigo sent the mental image of a raised eyebrow.

'**You kiddin' me? Not by much, but even I am not dumb enough to take his bankai lightly.'**

At this point Zangetsu, for even after the revelation that he was the manifestation of his Quincy powers he was still called Zangetsu, interjected.

'_**I doubt that at this point Yamamoto fully trusts us. He is probably watching our every move closely even now.'**_

'Zangetsu speaks truth, there is no way Yamamoto would instantly trust our as of yet untold story even if we told him.'

'_You two are right, we should count ourselves lucky for not being in the Maggots Nest right now.'_

'**Not that it could contain us.' **Cackled the ever happy to be powerful hollow.

'_No, but Muken could.' _Ichigo said, he had been told of Muken and boy did he want to go there.

'_**Yes but we have committed no crime worthy of Muken.'**_

'_Yet.'_

'You intend to do a Muken-worthy offense?' Asked the brown-haired biped.

'_Someday I do, but whatever comes… going to Muken is forbidden even by Kagane.'_

'**Yeah, and whoever comes after you dies!' **The hollow was pumped.

'_What in time travel got him so excited?'_

'**Precisely.'**

'_Well I am gonna get some sleep before I face tomorrow.' _Ichigo told the threesome while sending the idea of a big yawn at them.

**Authors Note…**

First fic so reviews are welcome. Thanks to Lady Navrednoz for proofreading this fic.

Explanations:

So… Yamamoto's attitude why was he so ready to let Ichigo go free with so few questions? Because he was unknowingly being effected by Lord Kurosaki.

98% of reiatsu gone and he's got it back in just how short? Simple he's Ichigo.

Notes to readers:

Will there be a pairing in this fic? Probably not, I am uncomfortable writing romance.

Will I ever abandon this fic? We'll see how it goes.

Please review what you think, helpful criticism is indeed welcome. Sayonara!


	2. Chapter 2, Death and Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.

Time to Kill Chapter 2

Karin, Yuzu, Renji, Rukia, Orihime, and Ikkaku all stood before him, bleeding profusely but not running out of blood. They all began walking towards him with purposeful steps… They were here for pain giving.

Rukia spoke first. "Why Ichigo? Why did you watch me die… why didn't you save me!" Tears of blood were streaming down her face. "Why did you fail to protect?" She asked as she stabbed him and twisted her sword. "Feel my pain, Ichigo!"

Renji was next. "Ichigo… All I wanted was to beat Byakuya before I died." He said, walking closer to Ichigo. "But you let him die. You let me die Ichigo. Why did you let me die? Was I not good enough for you!?" With this Renji lunged forward and grabbed Ichigo's face and began shaking it.

"N-No!" Ichigo screamed. "You are my frie-"

"Then why did you let me die?! ICHIGO!" Renji demanded while inflicting the same injuries he had died with onto Ichigo.

"Believe whatever you want Renji. You were the weak one. You let yourself die! Do you have ANY idea how much I went through when you all died! HUH?! DO YOU?" Ichigo screamed at them.

"Ichi-nii."

"Karin… I-I'm sorry." He said as he hung his head.

"What for Ichi-nii? For _letting_ me die when you could have prevented it? No you wanted me and Yuzu dead." She stated callously.

"W-what!" He yelled from his agonizing position on the floor.

"Don't try to deny it. You wanted us out of the way so that you could have a reason to take a break when you felt like it." Karin stated as she approached him.

"Even if that were true… I never did take a break." He stated furiously trying to defend himself.

Ignoring him she continued. "For your crime you will die without being mourned for."

He raised a bleeding eyebrow as best as his mangled face would allow. "I never wished to be mourned over, I accept."

Karin dissipated and Orihime came forward. "Kurosaki-kun… I loved you Kurosaki-kun. Why did you let me die? Was it for some other woman? Was it because you thought me useless?" She asked with a hurt expression.

"Inoue, you know very well that I never had time or interest for romance." He stated coldly.

"Feel my pain Kurosaki-kun." She said and transferred exactly what she had felt to him.

"Scuuuraahhhhhhh!" He cried in anguish. "Ah… ah… ah." He panted out. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all coated in blood.

Ikkaku came forward now with an insane grin that screamed 'Revenge is finally mine!'. "Ichigo! I wanted to die with Zaraki! Not protecting a pathetic excuse for a last hope!" He yelled accusingly at him, brandishing Hozukimaru.

"I was unable to move, yes." Ichigo stated ignoring the pain that was upon him.

"You were useless!" Ikkaku yelled, stabbing Ichigo in the right shoulder. "You couldn't protect a single thing!" He cried while stabbing Ichigo in the stomach. "You sat there and watched these people die. You should just change your name already." He spat venomously.

"You're right." Ichigo admitted clutching his stomach. "I should, I can't protect anything. I never could."

"You begin to realize do you? It won't change your pathetic little promise to 'protect everyone' will it!?" He reminded him victory shining in Madarame's eyes.

"I have only one promise, kill Aizen." Ichigo said, standing up. "And I will NEVER EVER let you stand in my way! Or anyone else!" His temper and spiritual pressure rising with every word until they exploded cracking the illusion.

He woke up to the sun rising and great pain, mental and physical.

'_**Ichigo.'**_

'_I didn't say anything out loud did I?' _The orange haired hybrid asked.

'**No king. You've gotten good with your nightmares I gotta say.' **His hollow told him with a grin.

'_Having about 2000 of them in my life helped.' _Ichigo had been having nightmares for years, he had learned to not them get to him too much.

'It is sad that one so young should have to hold so much.'

'**Yeah king you need to find a gal and let it all out.'** The hollow stated getting ready for the punches that would come his way.

'_No… I have said before and will say again. I live off of revenge, not love.'_ He said completely seriously and with a straight face.

'_**Ichigo, remember to look forward.'**_ Zangetsu reminded him.

'_Yes, look forward and not back. Thank you Zangetsu.'_

'Revenge can be a fuel Ichigo, but it is not a reliable source.' His other spirit told him.

'**Instinct king. Follow your instincts, they won't betray you.'** His hollow offered… typical advice considering what he was.

'_That dream told me something. It told me how I feel. I will kill Aizen now, without waiting. That is what I want, and I won't let anyone stop me.' _Ichigo said determinedly.

'Where you go I go.'

'_**Not the best, but good enough.'**_

'**I like your bloodlust, king!'** His hollow laughed happily at the mere thought of destruction.

Ichigo got up; he had slept topless revealing his many scars. The most prominent were from when he had been captured for a couple weeks.

_**Flashback.**_

"You know, Kurosaki, I am surprised you fell for it so easily." An Arrancar with neck length green hair and a mask that covered its right cheek said with a grin.

"You have me, let them go!" He yelled at the Arrancar.

"Who? Sorry… about that we umm… we never took any hostages in the first place." The Arrancar said as if to mock him.

"What? But their voices… everything." He said with a face that asked for it to not be true.

"All faked. Technology these days makes it so that we don't even need to kidnap anyone. Personally that makes me _very_ happy. I'm Terrias by the way."

"Terrias, you bast-" He was cut off by a sharp pain on his back.

"You know you shouldn't call people names, Kurosaki." He said kicking him once more.

Ichigo panted while trying to formulate a plan. He had to escape this Terrias somehow.

**Next day.**

"Ah my favorite shinigami!" Terrias said gleefully as he walked into the rather large room.

"What do you want?" Ichigo asked sullenly.

"Well I've had a _very_ nice day killing your friends off. Aaand I thought I'd go ahead and make it perfect by 'visiting' my honored 'guest'". Terrias told him, still smiling.

Ichigo just wordlessly narrowed his eyes, whatever the Arrancar had planned for him he probably wouldn't enjoy.

"Rig him up!" Terrias called out and in an instant two lesser Arrancar came in carrying a rectangle.

"This sir," Terrias said looking at Ichigo. "is your new toy."

The other Arrancar set it down and revealed there to be about one-hundred vicious pokes each about one and one-half inches long protruding from it.

"Alright, time to get started!" Terrias yelled out and began punching and kicking Ichigo into a bloody pulp.

"You know what Kurosaki? Science is really something. It allows us to reduce monsters like you into nothing more than a well thought out legend." Terrias said with a sadistic smile while pointing at the collar on Ichigo's neck.

"I'm… GAH!... the… ha…ha monster?" Ichigo barely wheezed out.

"Good, you can speak. I wouldn't have it any other way. Load him on!" He ordered the other Arrancar. They knew what he meant and quickly picked Ichigo up and threw him onto the spikes. Belly first, his arms, legs, and head only being spared the pain.

"Tie his arms and legs up so he can't try to stop himself." Terrias ordered, the Arrancar had predicted this and brought the reiatsu reinforced ropes out. They then proceeded to tie him up as directed.

"Kick him around as you see fit, I have more to kill."

"Yes Terrias-sama!" They answered in unison and began to kick Ichigo so that he rolled around the pokes going in farther each time. This lasted for days, on and off until Ichigo's friends came and rescued him. Despite all healing efforts this experience gave him lasting marks.

_**Flashback End.**_

The orange haired hybrid got dressed and put on his swords but something was… off.

'_Something feels weird with your guys' physical selves, anything to report.'_ Ichigo asked concernedly.

'_**It is… Give me a little while, I have my suspicions but I will not go off of just that.' **_The calm old man told him.

'I feel as if you are undergoing slight changes. Perhaps due to the time travel. His other spirit supplied.

'**I'm hungry king, when are you gonna give in to your true self and eat some soul, partner?' **His hollow told him, nothing strange there, he had been begging to eat souls off and on for a while.

'_I can't put my finger on it… hmmm guess I'll leave it to Zangetsu for now.' _Ichigo dismissed the issue for now; he needed to talk to Yama-jii.

"Hey, can I leave the 4th now?" Ichigo asked loudly enough to be heard.

"Ummm… Unohana-taichou is in charge of you you'd have to ask her." A typically timid 4th Division member informed him.

"Ok, I guess I'll go find her then." Ichigo said and walked out of his doorway in search of the dark haired Captain.

A few walkways later and Ichigo found himself at the healing squad's Captain's office. He knocked.

"Come in." Came Unohana Retsu's calm voice.

"I have come for permission to leave." Ichigo announced all business.

She gave him a calculating look. "Very well, but really do not exert yourself." She said with a hint of concern.

"My orders include not ending up dead." He informed her calmly and left, closed the door behind him without waiting for a reply.

'_Orders from whom?'_ She wondered to herself.

_**Meanwhile in the King's Dimension.**_

"Your Majesty, the Time Warper has been used." Kagane informed his liege, he had been a most trusted man for centuries.

"Oh? How long and who?" She asked; wearing the same outfit as Ichigo had seen her in 120 years after.

"Approximately 120 years, all censors indicate a Lord Kurosaki to be the one." He told her bowing slightly.

"Must be rather new then. One-hundred and twenty, eh? Must have been something serious if it was such a long time." She thought out loud.

"It seems so, orders Your Majesty?"

"Well… if he's a lord he's been authorized to use it. Watch over him from afar, Kagane." She told him still thinking about what could be so serious as to go 120 years. You see, once the Time Warper was used it couldn't be used again until time caught up, if one went ten years the machine went on cool down for ten years.

'_I don't even know who he is… Why would I send him and not one of the Royal Guard or Kagane?'_ She asked herself, trying to wrap her head around it.

_**Soul Society, First Division. **_

"I request to see the Captain Commander." Ichigo stated, never faltering in his cold determination.

"I will inform him immediately." The unseated officer told him, and went to do just that.

"The sou-taichou will see you now." The man came back after about a minute.

"Thank you." Ichigo said and walked on.

"What can I do for you today, Kurosaki Ichigo?" The old man asked, even as he sat upon his chair.

"I go now to do my task, none shall stop me for even now men die." He told the millennia old shinigami.

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai's brows furrowed when he heard this. "And what makes you think I'll just let you go and kill people?" He asked, demanding an answer.

"Let it not be said that I did not inform you, sir." Ichigo said as he turned ninety degrees. "And think not for a moment that you can stop me. My speed surpasses all shinigami's." He then took off in a mind-blowingly fast combination of sonido and shunpo.

The grizzled old warrior immediately informed the entire seireitei of Kurosaki Ichigo's intention to kill Aizen Sosuke fukutaichou Hirako-taichou.

_**Fifth Division.**_

"Eh? Aizen-san better watch out if he doesn't want to die, unless this is a really bad joke on Yamamoto-sou-taichou's part." Hirako Shinji thought out loud not even caring enough to move quickly to protect his lieutenant. He had always had his suspicions about the guy, so if some kid wanted to get himself killed over it, who was he to say no?

Aizen's reaction however, was quite different, his brilliant mind began running through all the situations that could make or break his little plan. He considered going on the offensive but he didn't know the boy's power beyond a cursory report from Gin.

'_I'll let him waste himself on all these fool shinigami's then we'll see if I can take him out from behind.'_ Aizen formulated a scheme. But before he could put it to use his wall was blasted if by a 30's level hado.

"Aizen." The orange haired dual wielder hissed.

Aizen narrowed his eyes, he really needed to get out of here or he might have to show his full power.

"Shatter, Kyok-" He was cut off by a strong hand on his throat.

"I know you stupid Shikai's power. Gotta say, I liked you better without these dorky glasses." Ichigo said as he used his other arm and broke said object.

'_**Ichigo! I have found the problem.'**_ Zangetsu said in an uncharacteristic hurried voice.

'_Kinda busy but what is it?'_ He asked somewhat befuddled that his Quincy spirit chose now to speak up.

'_**I am afraid my journey with you is at an end, Ichigo.'**_ He told him sadly.

'_WHAT? No!'_ Ichigo had always respected Zangetsu why did he have to go and more importantly… _WHY_?

'_**It seems the Time Warper was not meant for Quincy powers to pass through it… Remember Ichigo, look forward and be strong, never sto…' **_His voice faded away, never to be heard from again.

'**King… I never wanted to die, instincts don't tell me to want to.'** It was strange listening to an almost-crying inner hollow.

'_Are all of you gonna go away?'_ Ichigo's voice was pained.

'I was able to pass through unhindered but the loss of your Hollow and Quincy powers has upset the balance of your soul. I will not be able to continue this walk with you, Ichigo-sama. But I entrust all of my power to you, when you find new balance new power will be found, but my personal powers will fade in a few moments.' And with that his other spirit dissolved.

'**King, it's been fun. May your instincts be with you, live long and prosper mate. And make sure to kill Aizen for us.'** And so his hollow faded to be no more, but with a strong legacy.

As Ichigo's zanpakutous dissolved into the reishi rich air of the Soul Society all he could not do was feel despair; for his enemy was before him.

"NOOO!" He let out an ear piercing scream. "AIZEN! I will kill you! You have taken everything from me! My family, my friends, my hope, my own freaking ERA! And now you take anyway that which is part of me! Hado 90: Kurohitsugi! I will avenge you, Zangetsu!" A huge black and purple box formed around both of them and numerous spears plunged in. When the spell revealed them it showed that both were heavily damaged by the spears.

"I have never even met you. Gin! A little help here!" Aizen was reduced to one knee; however Ichigo stood tall ignoring the huge gashes on himself.

"Gin, just leave, I will kill him and settle both our grudges here and now." The bleeding former Visored stated as if it were a fact.

Gin stood undecided for a moment and then… "Shoot to kill, Shinso." Pointing his zanpakutou towards Aizen he extended it, or tried to.

"A grudge match desarvs to be one-on-one doncha think, Ichimaru?" Hirako Shinji had knocked the small silver haired shinigami over.

"Hai, Hirako-taichou." With that said Ichimaru deactivated his Shikai.

"Maaa, do you want us to interfere, Yama-jii?" The barely awoken Kyouraku asked.

Yamamoto narrowed his left eye. "Arrest them both."

"Hai, sou-taichou!" A number of shinigami's responded.

"Bakudo 63: Sajo Sabaku!" Ukitake and Kyouraku both yelled the former binding Aizen and the latter aiming for Ichigo. Yellow glowing chains formed and arrested their movement.

Unohana looked at Yoruichi and they nodded to each other.

"Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudo 61 Rikujokoro!" Unohana created her six bars and they slammed into his midsection preventing his movement. Yoruichi did the same to Aizen.

"Kill him now! If you don't he'll use his complete hypnosis on you and get away without you knowing it!" Ichigo yelled at the incompetents. "Or maybe he won't, maybe you'll get lucky and he'll continue with his goody two shoes act and let this all blow over his head!"

"Complete hypnosis? What do you speak of, Kurosaki Ichigo?" The Captain Commander bellowed.

"Oh that's right you idiots all believe his little lie about how Kyoka Suigetsu is some 'water type zanpakutou that interferes with the mind of its enemies'. It's not. If you see his release you're placed under its' mastery of all five senses. If you're touching it you can escape this, or home in on his zanpakutou itself, he can't fake the feel of his sword in the air." Ichigo informed them all, shocking many while others didn't believe him. "Sorry about this Yama-jii, I can't let him escape." Ichigo effortlessly broke free of the Bakudo that had been placed on him.

"It took me eight years to get this good at kido! The longest it has ever taken me to get the hang of something." He informed them. Blowing a few minds… they had studied for decades and more.

"Bakudo 99: Kin!" Ichigo called out, still bleeding. Even as Aizen got free of the Bakudo on him the black fabric wrapped around him and then spread out on the ground in an X shape slamming Aizen face first into the ground before numerous stakes went through the fabric pinning it to the dirt.

"Hado 88: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!" Ichigo yelled out placing his palm in front of himself.

"Bakudo 81: Danku." Kuchiki Ginrei stated calmly, attempting to stop the massive onslaught of electric blue energy attempting being the keyword. The huge Hado had once again wowed everyone though few showed it, but it barely lost any force on the Kuchiki heads Danku and exploded on Aizen.

"Reduce all creation to ash, Ryujin Jakka!" Everyone instinctively took a step back, if the sou-taichou was getting involved they'd let him handle it.

"Hado 73: Soren Sokatsui." Ichigo held both palms out and fired a massive blue explosive wave of reiatsu at Aizen. Ichigo was now sweating profusely after using so much reiryoku on high level kido.

"I know you're not dead Aizen… it that could kill you I'd have killed you long ago!" Ichigo was practically ordering for Aizen to show himself. But at that moment a swath of flame came toward him and he used shunpo to dodge it.

"Not now jii-san, Aizen has to die first then I can fight you." Ichigo said barely sparing a glance at Yamamoto. Now it was Ichigo's time to make a strategy.

'_I probably have enough for another 88… but jii-san will just block it. Aha!'_

"Later!" Ichigo called out only to reappear in multiple places at once shooting…

"Byakurai? Such a weak kido cannot harm me young 'un." Yamamoto told him, easily batting one away with his sword. But no more came for him… Ichigo had aimed one at Yamamoto and all the rest at Aizen, who was now riddled with holes and unconscious.

"Even Aizen would get hurt if a dozen holes get put through him. Now for the finish!" Ichigo called out.

'_So brutal… does he think Sosuke to be immortal?'_ Unohana wondered.

"Kurosaki Ichigo… why are you so set on killing Aizen Sosuke?" Genryusai asked while looking straight at the young man, to which Ichigo answered by letting his shihakusho fall down to his waist.

"This" he said while motioning to his second to only Yamamoto scarred body "is one reason." He stated. The orange haired vengeful one then used shunpo to disguise his true location.

"Hado…" He started above the battlefield "88: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho." He finished from no one knew where… only a meter between him and Aizen.

"It is done." He looked into the sky then fell over the now obliterated Aizen.

"Well Yama-jii… What now?" Kyouraku asked his famous sensei.

"I find this disturbing." Yamamoto commented dropping out of Shikai. "If anyone knows any more than I do about Kurosaki Ichigo, speak now!" He ordered; he was not happy at all with the way things turned out.

"I might." Gin volunteered meekly. Now that Aizen was dead he was free to speak.

"Tell us." Yamamoto prompted impatiently.

"Right. Before I say anything else I want you all to know that what Ichigo did was perfectly justified." Gin announced.

'_Ichigo… Just plain Ichigo?'_ Was the rather simultaneous thought running through the audiences heads.

"According to Ichigo he comes from a future where the Soul Society is nothing but rubble. Aizen was the cause, along with the Quincy Yhwach. Very few of you were still living, I mean _very_ if Ichigo is to be believed. By his story, and my own mind and mouth, I joined Aizen only to betray him. This is what prompted me to believe the rest of his story ya see, no one knew, I made sure of that."

"Yhwach…" Yamamoto muttered.

"But really shouldn't some'un heal him a little so he don't die?" The silver haired 3rd seat observed.

"Of course." Unohana was slightly apologetic. She began healing Ichigo on the site.

At this lull in everything everyone looked around a bit and saw the rather total destruction of a portion of the 5th's barracks.

"Good grief… I don't have to pay for this do I Yamamoto-sou-taichou?" Shinji asked almost pleadingly.

"We'll talk about that later." Yamamoto told him, slightly annoyed that _that_ had been where his Captain's thoughts had run.

"Ichimaru Gin, I presume that is you, continue." The bearded most powerful shinigami instructed.

"Ah well… Is Urahara Kisuke here?" Gin asked raising his voice to be heard at the end.

"I am. Why?" The aforementioned pale blond individual inquired.

"Supposedly you invented something called the hogyoku? Done that yet?" Gin asked.

"I umm… I have been trying yeah." He admitted sheepishly.

"Aizen's already half completed one, so have you or have you not? Anyway… this hogyoku manifests the desires of those around it. Sound useful yet?" Gin rhetorically.

"It sounds like it should never exist, if anyone is indeed developing such a thing let them cease now!" Yamamoto barked still unhappy, why in the six dimensions did they have to rely on second-hand information?

"Ichigo left out quite but from what I gathered there was a three way war for about eleven years. Oh almost forgot… How old do ya think he is?"

"We don't have time for games, young 'un." The sou-taichou bellowed.

"Ah why not play along, Yama-jii? Let me guess… 112?" Kyouraku asked factoring in the subtle things he had gleaned about Ichigo up to this point.

"From the condition of his reiatsu and reiryoku I conclude he must be between fifty and eighty if you also factor in his skill at kido." The expert healer added, still healing Ichigo after confirming that Aizen could not be revived.

A few were surprised at this rather young estimate but none were prepared for what came next.

"He's twenty-six." Gin said with an unfaltering smile.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at Gin as if to probe to see if this was true. "Do you jest, boy?"

"Of course not, this whole ordeal is a rather non-laughing matter, ne?" His smile grew as he looked back at Yamamoto.

"Did he share how he grew so powerful in such a short time?" Yamamoto inquired after a few moments.

"All he said was that he was actually alive when he got his powers." Gin informed readily enough.

"That is illegal I thought?" Ukitake interjected, by now all the captains save Kiganjo and Shinji were behind the captain commander, Shinji being next to Ichimaru.

"Of course… But I don't suppose you've legalized time travel?" This information hit all save the Captain Commander hard.

"Which brings us to this question, why did he tell you_ anything_?" Yamamoto pointed out.

"That I could not tell ya. Not for the life of mai." Gin answered with a slightly abated grin.

"So you're saying he had no reason to tell you and yet he did?" Yamamoto was now starting to wonder if this extravagant story was real.

"Yup, seems so. I also found no reason to believe he liked my future self." Gin pondered for a moment. "Maybe he foresaw something like this happening and knew I could keep a secret if I had to?"

"Humph. Unohana-taichou where are Kurosaki Ichigo's zanpakutou?" The strongest shinigami asked his subordinate.

"I don't know. I need to bring him to the fourth for further healing if you would permit?" Unohana Retsu responded.

"Very well. 3rd seat Ichimaru I will be questioning you personally, privately, follow me." Yamamoto directed.

"Hai, sou-taichou." The child looking silver haired shinigami replied.

"Well Shinji… I guess you'd better fix this place up. Good gracious though, I need some sleep and a drink." Kyouraku commented and then left, Yadomaru-fukutaichou following him.

"I don't know what to think about this whole sad affair." His white haired friend and fellow Captain added and went after him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is a threat to the Soul Society and should be treated as such." Soi Fon then the lieutenant of squad two said tersely.

"Looks like your Captain's test just got postponed _and_ something got pinned on you Kisuke, poor guy." Yoruichi half teased.

Kisuke however was unable to take it in stride. "I know; taichou. It's rather depressing." He exhaled in the form of a sigh.

"Kisuke! I didn't know you were a sigh-baby!" The dark skinned Shihoin joked.

"That's not fair, Yoruichi!" He yelled back playfully.

"Shall I remove Kurosaki-san from the picture, Yoruichi-sama?" Soi Fon asked, ignoring their banter.

"Nah, I'd rather 'interrogate' him. He's cute, excluding those scars but they do give him character." She rubbed her chin.

"Yoruichi-sama!" A flabbergasted Soi Fon looked positively offended by the thought, along with a slight blush.

"Aww, you're cute when you blush Soi Fon." Yoruichi teased.

Soi Fon flushed a beat red and found forming a sentence impossible.

"Well we'll see what the Central 46 decides. But for now let's get todays work done." She suggested and her two subordinates nodded and they went back to the 2nd.

**4****th**** Division, a short while later.**

'_What would push anyone to go this far?'_ Unohana privately wondered as she saw the huge holes in Ichigo inflicted by his own Kurohitsugi.

'_And he took Sosuke completely by surprise in spite of Yamamoto's warning…'_ Aizen hadn't put up much of a resistance, like he was utterly outclassed… Had he been? Many wondered over that question in the day it took to restore consciousness to Kurosaki.

**Central 46 1 hour after Aizen's death.**

"I find the fact that someone could kill a powerful fukutaichou, even with so many Captain-class individuals there, most disturbing." A male voice hidden behind a plaque remarked.

"As do I, this threat is no laughing matter." A female voice this time, face similarly hidden.

"The threat needs to be eliminated." A different male voice concurred.

"How should we eliminate him? Make a public example or quietly remove him?" A conniving male member of the Central 46 questioned.

"He has no friends, I say we make a public example and show that traitors die." The first voice recommended.

"You forget that he is not a traitor, simply a foreign enemy." A snide female pointed out somewhat haughtily.

"He used shinigami techniques; of course he's a traitor!" The man was irate at such an upstart comment.

"What_ever_ you say." She waived her hand dismissively.

"Execution by Sokyoku seems public enough." A new voice spoke up.

"It should technically be reserved for Captains but I concur." The first female voice assented.

"As do I." About ten voices spoke up at once.

"Are we in accord?" Forty of the forty-six present gave their agreement. "Good, the sou-taichou will be informed." As he finished he called for a Jigokuchou.

**First Division a few minutes after message is received.**

"I hereby call this meeting to order!" Yamamoto announced loudly, banging his cane down to quiet all the talking.

"The Central 46 has deemed Kurosaki Ichigo a threat. He will be executed in twenty days' time." Yamamoto told them.

"Excuse me sensei, but shouldn't we interrogate him first?" Ukitake asked, troubled by all these happening.

"The Central 46 said nothing about interrogations. Therefore we will indeed, all the Captains as a group, question him just as soon as he is cognitive." Yamamoto was displeased with the 'eliminate him' attitude of the Central 46 but he could sympathize to some degree.

"I don't know if he'll really tell us much even when he does wake up." Unohana said sadly.

"Why shouldn't he?" A Captain with a rather open shihakusho and short whitish hair and a '69' tattoo on his chest asked gruffly.

"Well… As far as I can detect his zanpakutou spirits dissolved. I'm afraid this will leave him feeling empty with no need to survive after completing his revenge on Aizen Sosuke." In her time as a healer she had not discovered a way to heal the mind.

"Then we must hope for the best." Yamamoto summed up.

"…Hai." The healer agreed without a faint smile.

"Maa… I really wonder just what he had against Sosuke to push him so far." Kyouraku commented lazily.

"Much… Far too much, if 3rd seat Ichimaru's second hand story is to be believed." The scarred old Commander answered his slothful student.

"Ya know though I would ha thought Aizen-san coulda put up more of a fight?" Shinji asked.

"I also have wondered how he so easily broke my Danku." Ginrei added.

"He must have a lot of reiryoku." A man with long wavy blond hair and a bored expression said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's hardly the point, we knew that already. The real question is how did he have so much when so young?" A captain with an afro and sunglasses pointed out.

"With a human growth rate it is within the realm of possibility." Ukitake said helpfully.

"But does he really deserve death by the Sokyoku?" Yoruichi cut in.

"The Central 46 has deemed so." Yamamoto replied bluntly.

"Why even have this conversation when we ought to be training?" Kensei Muguruma asked not seeing the point of the discussion.

"Because sweat isn't beautiful." Rose said with an aloof expression.

The muscled Captain of the 9th snorted and walked out.

"I could use a nap Yama-jii." Kyouraku said half-heartedly.

"This meeting is dismissed; wait at your Divisions for orders." The sou-taichou ordered loudly enough to be heard and then some. The Captains slowly filed out.

'_Kurosaki Ichigo… Why are you here really?'_ The old and grey Yamamoto wondered to himself. _'Is it because there was nothing left for you whence you came? This old man can't understand all of it._

**4 hours later, Ichigo's inner world.**

'_Is this what death looks like?'_ Ichigo wondered as he saw his sideways world fall apart.

'_Is this what death feels like?'_ The orange haired… soul… wondered as he silently bore the agony of being ripped to pieces.

'_Was it worth it?'_ He asked himself… Had it been worth it to kill Aizen? He didn't know, but he had done it. But unlike what he had expected he didn't feel any different, not more accomplished… nothing just another dead body to add to thousands of others he had killed.

And so slowly ever so slowly he began to find peace. But it was not to last.

**Outside world**

"He's slipping away!" A 4th Division healer called out, not having enough reiryoku to continue healing much longer.

"If he wants to die why don't we let him? Goodness, fine." Seinosuke Yamada a man with neck length smooth black hair and the distinction of being the second best healer in the fourth said as he moved over to start restoring reiryoku to Ichigo.

**Ichigo's inner world three hours later**

'_It shouldn't take this long to die should it?'_ Ichigo asked himself for the hundredth time, not expecting an answer.

"You are not meant to die so young my boy." A beautiful woman with wavy hair told him.

"…Mom?" Ichigo squinted… yes it was his mother.

"Ah my son… I did not protect you so that you could let yourself slip into despair." She told him as she smiled.

Ichigo smiled back weakly. "But what do I have to live for?"

"Well…" She started in a voice that told him he should _not_ have asked that question. "The people here need you, Ichigo. The Spirit King himself told you to come here, he also mentioned not dying. And… last but not least, your family wants you to live." Her image faded and a new one came.

"Live well, age well, and grow bald well. Ichigo, my son, when I said I wanted grandkids… I wasn't kidding ya know!" The image of his father grew red in mock anger for a moment. And then they both laughed.

"Ichi-nii…"

"Karin." He acknowledged.

"Our heart lives with you, if you die… what happens to us?" She asked, staying strong but obviously fighting back tears.

"Okay then… I'll live for all of you." He smiled at his friends and family and looked back to his crumbling world.

'_If there is a god who listens to dying people…'_ Ichigo smirked… he had no idea how to do this but he knew he could.

**Soul Society, Atmosphere**

Kagane squinted… That someone with the rank of Lord would be in a position like this was unheard of.

'_I suppose I should ask Her Majesty what to do about this.'_ Kagane mused.

**Seireitei, 5****th**** Division**

'_I do wonder what Ichimaru told Yamamoto… Oh well I suppose all will be revealed in due time.'_ The jazz loving Captain of the 5th privately wondered.

**13****th**

"I don't know Juushiro but doesn't death by the Sokyoku seem excessive?" The sake loving Captain of the 8th asked his long-time friend.

"The Central 46 passed judgment… We'll have to trust that this is right. Although I do agree with you." He added.

"Kaien, what do you think?" Kyouraku asked the white-haired taichou's lieutenant.

"Well… First I would try my best to find out both sides of the story… or in this case all three or four." The young Shiba answered.

Kyouraku raised a hidden-under-his-hat eyebrow slightly. "You've taught him well Juushiro." The brown haired shinigami commented.

"Oh no, he learned on his own Shunsui." His friend replied modestly.

"A little, but Ukitake-taichou has been very good at keeping me knowledgeable." Kaien smiled at them.

"You two have some similarities, if only Juushiro didn't have that disease." Kyouraku said with less of a smile.

"That's a depressing subject so let's not go there." Ukitake suggested lightly.

"Maa… But we've been talking about the Kurosaki Incident for hours." Kyouraku complained.

"Which is why I'm surprised you aren't out cold yet, Kyouraku-taichou." Kaien joked, half in earnest.

"I have a good tolerance for alcohol I'll have you know. Besides if I overindulge I'll miss the Captains meeting when Ichigo wakes up." He lectured, smiling and downing another bowl of the sake he had brought.

"Ah… no chance that I can come for that is there?" Kaien pleaded, really wanting in on the biggest thing of the decade.

"I'm afraid not, Captains only Kaien." Ukitake enlightened managing a weak smile.

"Oh well, I'll just get the paperwork done then, and wait for you." Kaien said cheerfully.

"Now…" Kyouraku began his complaining about how bad Lisa treated him, etc.

**1 hour later, Ichigo's mental world**

"Well that's different." Ichigo observed as gravity became how it should… but this was his _sideways_ world so no things changed big time.

'_Maybe I'm in for a whopping surprise… Anyway for now I need to focus on no Maggot's Nest or death.'_ Pushing his energy into living was a long and slow process but he was winning. Slowly.

**Outside**

"Unohana-taichou, he's stable." Her somewhat nasal sounding lieutenant informed her.

"Thank you, Seinosuke-kun." She replied with a tired smile.

"You should rest, taichou." He cautioned.

"Yes… Yes you're right I should. Please inform the sou-taichou of Kurosaki-san's condition." She requested after agreeing to rest, after saying this she went to her room and lied down.

"Hai." He responded and grimaced, he hated having to report to people, but if his Captain willed it so should it be.

**Five hours later, Ichigo's inner world**

He was lying on something that was moving… There were two other ginormous metal bars similar to the one he was on, also moving just slower.

'_The heck? I take a couple hours of sleep and this is what I wake up to? Where am I?'_ He stood up and looked at is feet, there was a massive 'V' after which was an 'I'.

If it were something he could do he would have put up ten question marks around his head.

"Anyone there?" Ichigo asked in a loud voice.

"Of course I am here." An obviously male voice spoke from behind him.

He turned around but saw nothing but a large clock tower. Then Ichigo noticed a man who stood on top of said tower.

"Where am I, sir?" Ichigo asked out loud.

"I would have thought you would recognize this place." The golden haired man told him.

"Can you come down so I can meet you?" Ichigo asked him.

"Yes I suppose I should." The man replied and floated down to Ichigo. It was now apparent that indeed his hair was golden and hung down to almost mouth length in every direction making it hard to see the man's dark brown eyes, The wore a sleeveless green-blue robe tied around his waist by a crimson sash.

"I'm Ichigo, but by the look of things you already know that." Ichigo said as he took in the man's rather handsome features.

"It is good to know that you are more perceptive then I first thought." The man said looking Ichigo over again.

"So where is this?" Ichigo had two options as to which it was but he was pretty sure.

"This is your inner world." The spirit told him.

"I wasn't sure but I was pretty sure of that, thanks." Ichigo thanked him having learned the usefulness of politeness years ago.

"Good it would hardly do if you were helpless." The, l not overly muscled but at least visible biceps, man said to no one in particular.

"And how did you come to be here?" Ichigo asked him looking him right in the eye, or rather what little he could see of it.

"This is my home." The man told him as if to say: obviously.

'_What kind of spirit is he? Zanpakutou, Hollow… Or… nah he's not a Quincy one if he was he'd look like Yhwach.'_ Ichigo mused.

"I am your zanpakutou." The man told him, a little disappointed that he didn't even know.

"I have no such… No… that's not fair to you. If you are my zanpakutou… what's your name?" Ichigo finally settled for this.

"You have to earn it, take this." He said throwing a standard zanpakutou with a golden hilt that was crisscrossed with crimson string.

"Good luck, wielder." The man said and lunged forward at Ichigo who stuck his palm out and let it be pierced and swung his own weapon at the man cutting him deeply in the side.

The man narrowed his eyes at this, displeased. "I will not allow you to use a sacrificial fighting style, wielder."

If there was one thing Ichigo learned it was to respect wishes of this sort from his zanpakutous. "Very well." Ichigo said and thrust his sword at the man which was parried effortlessly by said man.

"You'll have to do better." The man told Ichigo and slashed down at him.

"I'm not who I am for nothing, zanpakutou." Ichigo said from behind the golden haired spirit and stabbed for his neck.

"I would have thought, then, that you knew better then to alert me to your location." The spirit said after dodging his killing blow and instead a slight graze to his left shoulder.

"I'm not taking this seriously yet." Ichigo said in reply, holding his sword in a defensive stance.

"I would be extremely disappointed if this was serious for you." The spirit informed and attacked. Ichigo blocked or dodged all the strikes and slashed horizontally at the spirit's waist. The spirit jumped back but not before his sash was slightly damaged.

The spirit raised an eyebrow and attacked again. Ichigo jumped to the side and sliced out at his head. The spirit raised his sword and parried the strike at kicked Ichigo in the stomach pushing him back a few feet.

"I'm getting rusty if people can still pull that on me." Ichigo said and looked for openings in his opponent's guard, finding none that were easy to exploit he shunpoed behind the spirit already swinging down with his sword.

"I see." The spirit said as he stepped to the side. As Ichigo hit nothing the spirit lashed out with his left hand which Ichigo ducked under punching with his own left arm. The spirit jumped up over the punch and, as he came down, he swung hard with his sword at Ichigo.

"Heh." Ichigo said after sliding under the in the air attacking spirit and thrusting upward with his zanpakutou successfully cutting into the spirit's back.

The spirit fell to one knee. "You have done well, wielder."

"Why thank you." Ichigo responded.

Ignoring his tone the spirit went on. "You have proven yourself worthy. If you can hear my name my powers are yours to use."

Ichigo perked up, learning new things was often fun. He did miss his old spirits but even with just one he could live for real.

Looking up the spirit spoke. "My name is…"

_Annnnd_ that's chapter 2… figured I should put a small cliff hanger for once.

Thank you to all reviewers.

And yes I just threw out Zangetsu, Shiro, and well if you guess who the other guy was I'll give you the name of his newest spirit before I update, if you want it.

Again I don't make promises about when I'll update.

Please review you guys can give me perspective's I haven't even thought of.

Actually before I wrote this chapter I was puzzling over how to make Aizen _live._ Is Aizen down for good? I don't even know, characters write themselves sometimes.

Anyway… till next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Yeah I know you all wish I did but I don't own bleach.

A/N: Chapter three here… So anyway for those of you who didn't figure it out the 'I am speaking' Zanpakutou was indeed Muramasa, when you get to the afterlife you might get some cookies for that… Or not, idk.

**Chapter III**

"My name is… Toketsu Kage." The golden haired spirit educated Ichigo.

"Toketsu Kage… It is a good name." Ichigo said looking up at the blue sky.

"Good. Now you must learn to use my abilities." The spirit said in an I-am-now-your-sensei tone.

"So be it." Ichigo replied, resigned to his fate.

"Tell me, what do you notice about this place?" Before Toketsu said this he made a hand motion and both of them had all their wounds healed.

"A clock tower in the epicenter of a massive clock." Ichigo responded after looking around for a moment.

"Good, now what do you think I can do?" Toketsu asked him.

"I don't know… Play around with time?" Ichigo shot into the dark.

"More specifically I can stop time for a period." Toketsu told him before he continued. "This applies to everyone and everything except for the wielder. No one is aware that time has been stopped except the wielder."

"That sounds ridiculously over-powered. Just like Aizen." He muttered the last bit, not that his spirit couldn't hear him.

"Like Aizen _was_." Toketsu didn't argue that he was over-powered, but he did feel the need to remind his wielder who Ichigo himself had killed. "Power is a delicate thing. Power can be used for evil or for good; I have not yet found a place where this is not true."

"But Ichigo…" The spirit continued "All power comes at a price; the price you must pay is your time. Fitting, no? That to stop time you should have to sacrifice time."

"Yes… Yes I suppose it is. How should I start?" Ichigo asked.

"Simple, you must give your time to me and when you call on me I shall give it back." Toketsu replied.

"And that means?" Ichigo asked.

"All it means is that I require much more time to be spent with me than other zanpakutou do." Toketsu informed him.

"I presume that means I'll be doing a lot of Jinzen, what should I call you? Toketsu Kage seems too long to call you that every time in here." Ichigo really didn't want to say that every time he said the spirit's name.

"Call me… Kage, then." His zanpakutou conceded.

"Well, Kage, what are we going to do with all this time in my inner world?" Ichigo asked him, preferring to not just sit around doing nothing but waste time.

"Exactly." Kage said, reading Ichigo's thoughts. "We'll spend time with training and maybe when you're almost dead we'll talk."

"Well aren't you a nice spirit." Ichigo said sarcastically.

"Am I supposed to be hurt?" Kage's hair hid his facial expression.

"No, if something like that could hurt you I doubt we'd get along." Ichigo answered.

"I see." The spirit said simply.

A short moment of silence ensued before Kage spoke.

"Now that that's over you should know my release command." Kage said and Ichigo made a 'Why didn't I think of that?' expression. "My release command is: Halt time. (Jikan o tomeru)"

"Halt time, Toketsu Kage!" Ichigo called out, no change was at first apparent, but close inspection revealed that on the left side of the blade the roman numerals for 1-12 were visible.

"It won't be hard to get adjusted to the size of it, as you can see." Kage said pleased that his wielder needed no prompting to use his Shikai. "For now you won't be able to use my powers, not having sacrificed enough time to do so."

"I see, training now I presume?" Ichigo asked, not that he needed to as both knew the answer.

"Of course. Start by landing three more hits on me, than I on you." The spirit said with a smile as he tapped Ichigo lightly on the shoulder with his sword and said 'one'.

Shaking his head with a smirk he lunged out at the spirit.

**Outside**

"Taichou! We can't heal him anymore, not that he needs it I suppose." A female voice came from outside said Captain's room.

"Oh? He no longer needs healing? Is he conscious then?" She asked missing the 'can't'.

"No, he is not." The, rather tall for a woman, healer replied.

"I'll look at him myself, Isane." Unohana said and came out bearing a smile.

"Thank you, taichou." Kotetsu Isane, at that time the 3rd seat, said, falling behind and to her Captain's left.

After looking Ichigo over she arrived at the truth, he was training with his zanpakutou. Calling for a Jigokuchou she sent word to Yamamoto of this fact.

**Minutes later, First Division**

After listening to the message from Unohana he went into deep thought.

'_I thought his zanpakutou dissolved? A trick? No… he would have known that Unohana could determine that he was performing Jinzen, so what is going on?'_

Sending the message along to all the other Captains, and telling them to come alone, he got up from his chair and walked over to the fourth.

**4****th**** Division, after all the Captains arrived**

"We are unaware of what surprises he will have for us when he awakes, be prepared for anything." Yamamoto warned his subordinates.

"Yama-jii… how do we even know he'll wake up in the next three days?" Kyouraku asked his age old teacher.

Yamamoto had truly not thought of this. "If he does not wake in the next twelve hours you will be dismissed."

A few muttered complaints were all that met this; they didn't want to miss a thing. Yamamoto had told no one of Gin's story, thinking –and rightly so- that a few of his more emotional Captains might be moved unduly by the story and thus be biased.

"Are all of you oafs fine with standing or do you want a chair?" Unohana's lieutenant asked sourly.

"You should learn to pay proper respect to people above you." Ginrei lectured.

"Standing's good for him, the rest of you?" Seinosuke asked the others.

"I'll stand." All but Shinji, Kiganjo, and Yoruichi answered. Kyouraku would have asked for a chair but if his sensei stood it was hardly right for him to sit.

In good time Yamada-fukutaichou had brought the two chairs required and left. Kiganjo received no chair… when Seinosuke was asked later he said 'He'd break it with all that weight.'

"Wow. He gets away with that kinda thing?" Kensei asked.

"He doesn't pull it on Unohana… Not that anyone does." Shinji answered.

"Sensei, I have been wondering but I thought his zanpakutou dissolved and I certainly don't see one on him so how could he be in Jinzen?" The white haired Captain of the 13th asked.

"I know to more of it than you do, Juushiro." Yamamoto answered rather informally.

"I see, thank you, sensei."

"Maa… Although I do wish we had some sake." Kyouraku said after a minute of silence.

"Getting drunk will only impair your fighting should Kurosaki prove hostile." Yamamoto answered sternly.

"Ok, but I mean, with 13 Captains here is he really gonna pull something like that?" Kyouraku asked and a few mentally assented.

"That is the reason for your being here." Genryuusai answered.

**Ichigo's Inner World**

"Ichigo, I feel it necessary to tell you that my power has a weakness." Kage began during a lull in their training. "The weakness is thus…" He continued after being motioned to by an out of breath Ichigo "When you freeze time… other objects are completely frozen. You cannot cut them, move them, or affect them. The main purpose of my power is to move out of the way of a devastating attack or to prepare you own."

"I see; time must resume before I can deal damage." Ichigo reasoned.

"Precisely, meaning that you must work on your coordination till it is perfect." Kage informed him, earning a tired sigh in response.

"Well, no sense wasting time." He winked. "Let's get to it."

"Good." And so they went on training Ichigo's coordination in every way they could think of.

**2 hours later**

"You have made good progress, wielder." Kage complimented a bleeding Ichigo.

"I get that a lot." Ichigo replied grimacing as he looked himself over.

"So I see." Kage said after looking through Ichigo's memories. Then he found one that was somewhat amusing.

"Not in this one though." Kage said causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow. Kage then played back the memory of Ichigo's first attempt at kido. A very angry and somewhat burned Rukia was seen yelling at Ichigo.

"_That_ was supposed to be Bakudo?" Toketsu mocked.

"Whatever." Ichigo said with a hint of sadness… seeing that had brought back memories.

The golden haired spirit looked up at the sky and sighed. "I don't like it when it rains on me, wielder." He said in an intimidating voice.

"Yeah, sorry Kage." Ichigo broke himself out of his reminisce.

"Better. Now, we shall continue." The spirit said as he leveled his sword at Ichigo.

Ichigo simply raised his sword horizontally in front of himself in reply.

Kage moved first, going with a strong vertical strike at Ichigo, one which the 'orange scar face' –he had been called this before- easily parried. Ichigo swung out with his left hand Kage jumped back out of the way.

"Not worthless." Kage had taken to taunting Ichigo in this manner during their sparring.

Ichigo slashed diagonally at Kage who stopped Ichigo's blade with his own. Ichigo smirked; his right leg was already going for Kage's side. Kage leaped into the air so that his feet were about two inches above Ichigo's head.

"You like jumping, ae?" Ichigo asked his zanpakutou.

"It has its faults but against some opponents it is very effective." Kage replied emotionlessly.

Ichigo had jumped back as soon as he saw that Kage jumped up and now they were facing each other again.

"I won't tell you to die." Ichigo said almost inaudibly and then he lunged forward at Kage.

"A feint?" His spirit asked him. "You're too obvious." He stated and moved to block it, Ichigo however shunpoed behind the spirit, still thrusting. Kage had known Ichigo would try this… that is what had been obvious. Kage side stepped the blow and swung his own blade at Ichigo's side, Ichigo ducked under the blow and threw a vicious punch.

"Close." The dark-brown eyed spirit told him as he tipped back, Ichigo's knuckles barely –but did- touch his clothing.

"Sure, no problem." Ichigo smiled as he recovered his stance after jumping back.

"Catch them all." Kage instructed as he willed about a dozen hour hands –that were acting as spears- at him.

'_Fast.'_ Ichigo dropped his sword and moved his arms at a super human rate catching them all.

"Good." He stuck a fragile looking second hand into the ground. "Now swing at this and stop your sword so that at the end your sword is touching this but without damaging it." He instructed.

Ichigo no longer being a fool teenager knew the difficulties of this, nonetheless he agreed to try. He only accomplished it about six times in as many hours, after that his success rate started steadily growing. Kage took him to task every time his stance faltered or if he slowed down.

**22 hours after Aizen's death**

In Ichigo's clock world, Ichigo was definitely feeling the need to eat after so much training. No one can do that much constant action without feeling something, Ichigo had fought for days on end before so he easily pushed the feeling aside.

"Do you feel ready to go out and face the Gotei 13?" Kage asked his student and wielder.

"I feel like I'd do anything to get away from you." Ichigo jabbed playfully.

"Funny. But I was dead serious." The time stopping spirit said, seriously.

"I'll take my chances." Ichigo replied, wiping the smile off his face.

"You are not yet able to defeat the wielder of Ryujin Jakka. Be careful, wielder." Kage said somewhat grimly.

"I'm not looking for a fight." Ichigo stated.

"If possible do not reveal my powers." Kage warned.

"Not an issue." Ichigo said regaining his smile. "I'll see you later, Kage." Ichigo said and left his inner world.

'_May fortune be with you Ichigo.'_ Kage thought to himself.

**Outside**

"Yama-jii we've been here for forever." Kyouraku complained. Yamamoto however said nothing.

"Yama-jii?" Kyouraku repeated.

"Silence, he is moving." Yamamoto answered roughly.

Ichigo blinked a few times sat up yawned and stretched his arms. "Wowa, all the Captains? I'm honored." Ichigo said finally noticing them.

'_Hardly gives you the impression of a guy on death row.'_ Not a few of the individuals present had thoughts similar to this.

"What have you been doing for the last 22 hours?" Yamamoto questioned.

"Well… first of all, regaining my will to live; then working on living, then training." Ichigo rattled off.

"Training for what?" Yamamoto interrogated.

"Well you know… mental exercises." Ichigo lied.

"Then why did wounds appear on your body?" Yamamoto asked, not convinced.

"That? Must have been from the tornado early on." Ichigo made up on the spot, knowing full well that the wounds appeared sooner rather than later.

"Hmpf. Why did you kill Aizen Sosuke?" The old sou-taichou asked him.

"As far as I am aware you already know the reason. However…" He continued "I'll tell you why anyway." He said, standing up.

"Consider the following to be a full explanation from Kurosaki Ichigo de-facto leader of the Human-Shinigami Resistance Force." He stated formally.

"The reasons for the killing of Aizen" He spat out the 'Aizen' "Are as follows: creation of shinigami-hollow hybrids, murder of 30,000 living souls, destruction of the Seireitei, allying himself with hollows after swearing the Captain's oath, and the killing of several thousands of residents of the Soul Society. Also plotting to destroy the Soul King, in which he was thwarted every time." Ichigo listed off in full official mode.

"If necessary I will draw up a full written report." He finished.

"But Aizen was no Captain." Shinji pointed out.

"Not yet, a few years after the hollowfication of Hirako Shinji, Muguruma Kensei, Rojuro Otoribashi, Aikawa Rabu, Sarugaki Hiyori, Yadomaru Lisa, Ushoda Hachigen, and Kuna Mashiro, he was promoted to Captain of the 5th Division, as you can see, this never happened." He stated.

"You seem sane… yet not." Love commented.

"If you had seen what I have seen your sanity may very well have faltered." Ichigo said grimly.

"You previously said to me: 'It's not where, it's when.' What was your meaning?" Yamamoto asked, wanting a straight answer.

"I meant that I come from where we could have been in a dozen decades or so." Ichigo stated coldly.

"And what proof have you of this?" Yamamoto asked him.

"Tell me, Yamamoto-sou-taichou, how many here know what your Bankai is?" Ichigo asked him.

"None of them that would give that information to another." He replied.

"Shall I tell them, sou-taichou?" Ichigo asked without a smile.

"Very well, prove that you know." Genryuusai answered, knowing that there was no possible way for the child to know.

"Your Bankai's name is Zanka no Tachi." Ichigo told them all. "Moreover you have been hiding its true abilities from everyone so that when Yhwach makes his appearance you can surprise him and destroy him."

"I know not where you got this information but I demand to know!" Yamamoto bellowed at him, scarce believing that this youngster could know.

"Yhwach told me himself, after having faced and defeated you." Ichigo replied.

"And why would he tell you?" Yamamoto asked.

"I previously had Quincy powers and joined the Vandenreich for a short period to gather information." Ichigo informed. "When I asked him about it he told the whole story with a grim smile."

"Previously?" Yamamoto wondered out loud.

"In the process of passing through time my Quincy powers were lost." He told a cunning half-truth.

"And we are to accept your word?" Yamamoto asked the orange haired shinigami.

"To take my word is not an easy choice, I realize. Then again choosing to die for justice wasn't an easy choice for all of you ether." Ichigo said, scanning the entire group.

"If we were dead why were you not?" Yamamoto voiced the question that a few had.

"I had an advantage. I was young and underestimated, I was powerful, my Bankai could not be stolen, and I was never placed under the complete hypnosis of Kyoka Suigetsu." He told Yamamoto looking straight into his eyes.

"Ichimaru Gin said that you told him that you received your shinigami powers while still alive, is this true?"

"It is." He said tersely.

"And who was the shinigami who gave you your shinigami powers?" Yamamoto asked.

"Kuchiki Rukia." He again gave a short reply. Ginrei's eyes widened slightly and then narrowed checking his memory for a Rukia.

Seeing this Ichigo simply kept his impassive face up, but he also saw a chance to prove that he was indeed from the future. "Don't tell Byakuya this, but if he marries someone by the name of Hisana I won't be surprised." He knew that Ginrei was the Kuchiki clan head by the scarf.

"I see." Ginrei said simply.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I feel obliged to tell you that Central 46 decided that you will be executed in twenty days." Yamamoto informed.

"I see. I haven't had any dealings with this set of them but if they're anything like the ones I did deal with for a couple months…" Ichigo had come very near murdering the Central 46; fortunately for him the Quincy did it for him.

"What of them?" Yamamoto prompted.

"I'll be brutally honest; I almost killed them for ineptitude." Ichigo stated without emotion. A few agreed with the 'ineptitude'.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes. "Well… almost is almost." The grey bearded shinigami said so that no one would lose their tempers… it worked.

"I believe I have the right to plead my case before the court." Ichigo said rather than asked.

"They've already decided the sentence." Yamamoto countered.

"Do I at least get a phone call?" He asked.

"I don't suppose you know anyone." Genryuusai answered.

"I've got a feeling that someone knows me." He said cryptically.

"Who?" Yamamoto asked, not wanting to waste time with games.

"Part of my orders includes not revealing such information unless my life is at risk." Ichigo stated.

"And what if I use Ryujin Jakka on you, would that be sufficient?" Yamamoto asked sternly.

"If you used your Shikai on me I would find a way to escape." Ichigo retorted.

"The Captains of the Gotei Thirteen stand before you, are you so arrogant as to think that you could escape us?" Yamamoto threatened.

"Not one day ago I could have, but now… I might not be able to." Ichigo admitted.

"Good. Now give me a straight answer, who gave you these orders of yours?" Yamamoto demanded.

"I don't pretend to know why I am to keep it a secret but the fact remains. I refuse." Ichigo said defiantly.

"Do you think that whoever sent you is more powerful than the might of the Gotei 13?" Yamamoto asked calmly.

"You yourself would say as much." Ichigo responded.

"Few could claim that distinction." The most powerful shinigami stated.

"Aizen could have, in a century." Ichigo said.

"Very well, we'll leave that question be; for now." Yamamoto said, still thinking about whom it could be… or was the boy lying?

"If any of you have questions or concerns, speak now." Yamamoto ordered.

Ichigo spoke first. "You said execution, by what method?" He asked.

"Sokyoku, presumably you know about it already." Ichigo simply gave a wordless nod at this.

"Who of us here was alive when this war started?" Unohana asked.

"I recognize all of you excluding the Kuchiki and the big guy." Ichigo said motioning in a very tall and heavy man's direction. He was Kenpachi Kiganjo, who stood 7'3" tall and weighed in at almost 700 pounds, Kiganjo had a large amount of hair all over him and two bony piercings below his lips, his fingernails were chipped.

"I see, thank you." Unohana said in acknowledgement.

"Is the sake better?" Kyouraku asked.

"If you let the sake you have now sit…" Ichigo trailed off.

"Do you in any way regret killing Aizen Sosuke?" Ginrei asked.

"I would be lying if I told you that I don't have some degree of regret for almost every life I've taken." Ichigo replied.

"Why'd ya tell Gin-chan about so much?" Shinji asked he knew Gin knew more than he did.

"When I told him, it was my full intention to let Aizen live until substantial current evidence was found with which to convict him." Ichigo told them. "However, I realized that every moment Aizen lived brought harm to someone. I won't argue and say that his death fixes everything though."

"How did you get all those scars?" Ukitake asked, full knowing it might be a tender subject.

"The same way most get them, torture and fighting." Ichigo replied coldly.

Ukitake swallowed a lump… torture? He was centuries old and hadn't had such a thing happen to him.

"Are you ready to die?" Kensei asked.

"I've never been ready to die, I've wanted it, I've begged for it, but I've never been ready." Ichigo replied.

"How good is your shunpo exactly?" Yoruichi asked.

"You taught me… among other things." He smirked. He was curious… was Yoruichi more innocent at this point?

"You ready to be taught all over again?" She licked her lips.

'_Well that backfired.'_ Ichigo thought to himself. "Actually I was kidding; shunpo and hakuda were the only things you've taught me." He decided that honesty was always better.

"Well that's too bad." She pouted.

"Sorry to disappoint."

"You realize you were saying all this in front of all of us?" Rose asked.

"My awareness has never been higher." Ichigo informed.

"Why is that?" Love continued the questioning.

"I've been told I'm living on borrowed time, it puts you into that kind of mode." Ichigo replied.

'_Seriously? He was just joking around with Yoruichi too…'_

"I'm sick of this. I want to eat." Kiganjo abruptly said.

"No one stoppin' ya." Shinji grinned as he spoke.

Kiganjo grunted cracked his knuckles and walked out.

"Any more questions?" Ichigo asked, eyes scanning the group of Captains.

"No" Yamamoto suddenly spoke up "That will be all, Captains Kyouraku, Hirako, and Shihoin please escort our guest to the Senzaikyu."

"Hai, sou-taichou." They all responded.

'_Must be because I sat down…'_ Yoruichi and Shinji though simultaneously.

"No official trial before Central 46?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You will receive your trial after you have a reiatsu inhibiting collar on." Yamamoto enlightened.

"Ah… 'Cause of my self-proclaimed almost violent streak with it comes to them." Ichigo reasoned.

'_He has a degree of intelligence.'_ Yamamoto told himself.

"Well… Let's go, Shinji, Yoruichi, Kyouraku." Ichigo prompted.

"They get first name treatment and not me?" Kyouraku asked with a well-hidden inquisitive look.

"Tell me… do you call your sensei by his first name?" Ichigo asked… he had received training from many, but none were his true 'sensei' until Kyouraku took him on and showed him dual wielding.

"Ahhh" Kyouraku uttered almost inaudibly.

"Thank you for understanding. I've never actually seen the inside of the Senzaikyu before…" Ichigo half mumbled the last bit.

"It's dreary and cold." Yoruichi spoke up.

"I would imagine, with a name like that." Ichigo said in return.

"Well let's get this over." Kyouraku said.

"Nothing is ever over." Ichigo said darkly.

**In the Sky**

"Your Majesty they are taking him to the Senzaikyu." Kagane said over his communicator.

"Hahaha…" She chuckled "Let them Kagane, I want to see their faces."

"But Your Majesty what if my Lord does not know?"

"Slip him a note into his cell then if it makes you feel good." She permitted.

"I shall do so." Kagane answered in a determined voice.

"You know the drill… Don't get seen." She warned him

"Yes, Your Majesty."

**Central 46 30 minutes later**

"The condemned wishes to defend himself." Yamamoto informed.

"Ha! what gives him the right!" A male member of the Central 46 demanded.

"He was classified as a traitor, so technically he does." One of the females spoke.

"You fool!" A different male shouted of the one responsible for insisting on this classification.

"Calm down. Very well Yamamoto-sou-taichou, he will have his chance tomorrow." The insulted male spoke up.

"Nothing we can do, what a waste of time. Leave us, sou-taichou." A lazy voice joined in.

Tilting his head slightly Yamamoto turned around and left wordlessly.

"Can't say I'm happy about this, but I suppose a mock trial is necessary."

"Agreed." A number of judiciaries spoke at once.

**Senzaikyu, a couple minutes later**

"Welcome to your new home." Kyouraku said with a half-hearted smile.

'_So this is what is it was like for Rukia?'_ Ichigo thought to himself.

"Thanks Kyouraku." Ichigo said as one of the white clad guards put a reiatsu restraining collar on him.

"No thanks for me?" Yoruichi asked.

"None. Thanks Shinji, find yourself a good lieutenant." Ichigo said to the blond Captain.

"I never liked Aizen anyway, see ya Ichigo." Shinji said and left; then with a slight pout Yoruichi left, followed by Kyouraku who tipped his hat slightly at Ichigo and then left.

Ichigo plopped down on the floor. _'Wonder if I can still do Jinzen with this stupid collar on?'_

'Of course you can wielder. It only inhibits your ability to manipulate your reiryoku and reiatsu to a degree, you will be weak but you can indeed visit your inner world.' The golden haired zanpakutou informed him from inside his mind.

'_Thanks, Kage.'_ Ichigo said and slipped into the cross-legged Jinzen pose before slipping into his inner world.

Right after he did so, a figure appeared outside his vertically long and horizontally narrow window and slipped a note in.

Ichigo blinked a few times to orient himself; he then looked down and saw that he had appeared on the clock tower in the middle of his inner world.

"Welcome back wielder." Toketsu smiled at him appearing next to him.

"Yeah, it's nice to have a place to go that's less boring than a prison cell." Ichigo said.

"Why did you let yourself be taken? With my power you could have escaped your pursuers." Kage chided.

"I don't know… It felt right I guess." Ichigo said dumbly.

"How unintelligent."

"Don't go all Ishida on me now!" Ichigo roared out pleadingly.

"Ishida Ishida… Ah!" Kage said as he searched through the memories and found it.

"See what I mean?" Ichigo asked, wanting someone to agree with him.

"I agree with Ishida… Moron." Kage said as he looked into the sky.

"Fine, I give up. I didn't know you were one much for jokes or imitations though." Ichigo jabbed.

"I did not either." Kage answered surprising Ichigo.

"I almost forgot… You're not even a day old." Ichigo said looking into the direction that the spirit had been.

"As I said, you might find yourself very weak, but we will train anyway." Kage announced abruptly.

"Uh huh. What are we starting with?" Ichigo asked.

"We'll play Simon says." Kage answered.

"Alright let's do it… WHAT?!" Ichigo yelled as it finally sunk in. "Little kids play that."

"Simon says… use a 30's level kido."

Ichigo stuck his palm out "Hado 33, Sokatsui!" He called out and sent a pitifully small blue wave floating to the ground.

"Wow… you weren't kidding when you said this would make me weak." He said in reference to the collar.

"On the bright side we can use this to our advantage."

"Oh, how?" Ichigo asked his zanpakutou.

"If you train while in this weakened state you may become better at directing your reiatsu." Kage replied.

"Oh yeah? Sounds good." Ichigo said, not fully grasping the reason for this but he got it to some extent.

"Simon says… use Bakudo 62." Kage ordered.

"Why don't you just instruct me instead of Simon says?" Ichigo asked as he brought back his arm in preparation.

"You make a good point. My name is not Simon." Kage said as if thinking that this was what Ichigo was referring to.

"Bakudo 62, Hyapporankan!" Ichigo attempted…. key word being attempted.

"Looks like you can't do 60's level Bakudo in this state yet." Kage commented.

"Yeah. Seems so." Ichigo replied dejectedly.

"Cheer up, those collars are supposed to make you completely helpless." Kage reminded.

"Thanks Kage… Bakudo 4, Hainawa!" Ichigo called out generating a small crackling yellow rope and he bound Kage with it.

"About 30% strength; could have been worse." The zanpakutou spirit said as he shrugged the Bakudo spell off.

"Try something a little higher than Sokatsui, Hado of course." Kage instructed.

"Hado 54, Haien!" Ichigo called out swinging his sword arm he created a tiny piece of purple that gave Kage nothing more than burns… the spell was supposed to be powerful enough to incinerate an entire person.

"At least something happened." Kage said as he looked ruefully at his burnt arm, then an idea popped into his mind.

"Come heal this burn." Kage ordered wanting to see how long it took this restrained Ichigo to heal such a wound.

"Ok." Ichigo said as he walked over and began the healing process.

Five minutes later the arm was good as new. Ether healing kido was limited very little or the burns were only skin deep… or both.

"Alright, let's see your Byakurai." Kage instructed as he flexed his once burnt arm, he could have healed it himself but he had wanted to see Ichigo's proficiency at healing kido and this was a perfect test.

"Hado 4, Byakurai." Ichigo announced as he aimed at a clock that Kage had set up… it worked quite well as a target.

The blue streak punched right through its intended target and continued a short distance.

"Almost full strength." Kage mused aloud.

"Yeah, it's nice knowing you aren't helpless." Ichigo muttered.

"How about Jugeki Byakurai?" Kage asked as he continued setting up targets. Ichigo however was in thought.

'_How do I get more power output? Let's try running reiryoku over my body._' He did this for a bit and then determined that the collar was slowing down and locking down on his reiryoku. _ 'Doesn't seem to be a way to get out of it… Unless.'_ He slowly began generating a huge kido ball.

"What are you doing?" Kage asked truly so interested that he forgot he could read his wielder's mind.

"I figure if I put my reiryoku outside my body maybe I can use it easier, with this collar and all." Ichigo explained.

"So the you think that the collar doesn't inhibit things like that?" Kage asked with a raised golden-brown eyebrow.

"No idea, worth trying." Ichigo responded.

"Just don't lose control of that thing." Kage ordered as he looked at the kido ball that was twice Ichigo's size.

"Now I just need a backpack for this thing." Ichigo chuckled. He gently started to manipulate the ball of kido. Slightly changing its shape as he experimented.

"Ok now to pull a spell from our bag." Ichigo talked to the air and pulled out some of the red energy in the shape of a Shakkaho.

"Be careful to only release the smaller one." Kage reminded him.

Ichigo wordlessly released the small red orb at one of the targets hitting it dead on.

"I never aim that well with Shakkaho!" Ichigo exclaimed, seeing the results.

"That's because usually you put too much energy into the spell making it wilder." The spirit calmly informed.

"Is that so? Let's see if I can pull Bakudo out of the magic sphere." Ichigo said at tried to pull a rope out of the ball of kido that was changing color momentarily. Instead he got more of a walking stick made of slightly crackling kido.

Seeing this Kage decided to guide Ichigo. "Throw it at a target."

Ichigo did so but his aim was off and he missed by two hairs.

"Need a bigger target?" Kage taunted.

Ichigo snorted as he pulled out another rod, this time orange and with a tip. "You'll do." He answered as he threw his newest creation at his zanpakutou spirit.

Kage ducked, but his hair was slightly singed. "Seems like you can only get offensive spells from your 'Magic Sphere'"

"Seems so, let me try making a Bakudo sphere after I use this one up." He said as he drew out blue energy with the idea of Hado 73, Soren Sokatsui in his mind. Kage was busy setting up big and small clocks to shoot at.

Ichigo aimed at a large one and shot off a slow and unstable version of the spell. As he watched somewhat despondently at his spell that was exploding on the way in small amounts he lost control over his 'Magic Sphere' and it blew up.

Kage looked up quickly at the sound of the explosion to see a blackened Ichigo jumping out as he swatted at his burning hakama. If Kage was more susceptible to laughter he would surely have been rolling on the ground and pounding his fist.

"Are you alright?" Kage asked.

"Yeah, I'm used to this kinda thing happening when I do kido." Ichigo responded as he finally succeeded in putting out the flames.

"Now as I was saying Jugeki Byakurai." Kage practically commanded.

"Right." Ichigo said as he pointed his index finger at the most distant target and unleashed the red, more powerful and less flashy version of Byakurai that Urahara had invented. The fast travelling spell punched right through its target just before a massive explosion rocked Ichigo's inner world.

"What the?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"If I had to guess, I would say it was the remainder of your kido ball."

"It didn't all blow up at once?" Ichigo asked.

"If it had, you would have been forced out of your inner world due to injuries suffered, you put far too much of your reiryoku into that kido ball." Kage explained.

"You knew and just had me do Jugeki Byakurai?" Ichigo asked, officially not being able to see the sense in it all.

"I calculated –correctly- that at this distance you and I would suffer no injuries." Kage responded as if it was obvious.

"I swear you do this on purpose." Ichigo said in return.

"Good job with that Jugeki, it was a bit over half power." Kage said ignoring Ichigo's latest remark.

"They make this collar to completely inhibit reiatsu and reiryoku, why can I do anything?" Ichigo asked.

"My power, along with the quantity of reiryoku you have, and the Lord reiatsu upgrade, all contribute." Kage explained.

"The reiatsu modification even helps bypass limiters?" Ichigo asked grasping now why it was such a powerful thing to have.

"Seals that are not made specifically for you are also less powerful." Kage elaborated.

"Thanks, Spirit King." Ichigo spoke out.

"The one who goes by that name cannot hear you."

"And how would you know?"

"I have intelligence; you have the same level of it if you use it." Kage told him.

"Not the first time I heard that one. But I'll take your word on it." Ichigo said deciding to prove his trust in his zanpakutou.

Seeing this Toketsu Kage smiled slightly. "So you begin to understand." He said in a voice so quiet that Ichigo couldn't hear as he gazed upon said orange haired man's face.

"So, what next?" Ichigo asked not being one to sit around doing zilch.

"We will review all the kido you know from the bottom up." Kage notified.

"Sounds good, Hado 1, Sho." Ichigo called out pointing at a target and pushing it over with the spell.

"Good, it seems that the lower level spells are easier to use." Kage thought aloud.

"I would guess that that would be because they're simpler." Ichigo apprised.

"Yes, keep working your way up." Kage directed.

"Bakudo 1, Sai." Ichigo practiced this on Kage. Who simply nodded and motioned for him to continue.

**1 hour later**

"Hado 54, Haien." Ichigo again used the opaque purple fireball spell this this on a mid-sized target which was consumed entirely, a great improvement.

"Much better, I see that you are getting the hang of this." Kage praised.

"Thanks." Ichigo then brought his hand up and incanted "Hado 58, Tenran!" He announced aiming for a group of clocks he generated a large widening tornado which blew them far and away.

"A slower spin speed than when used with a zanpakutou but still very effective." Kage noted.

"It takes a lot longer to use if you do it that way so I prefer to just shoot it out of my hand." Ichigo replied, looking at the spirit of his new zanpakutou.

"Bakudo 61, Rikujokoro." Ichigo said calmly, holding out his hand and forming six bars of yellow that quickly attached themselves to Kage's stomach at equal angles. Paying no mind to it, Ichigo went on to the next spell.

"Bakudo 62, Hyapporankan." He brought his hand back and created a blue-white rod in his palm and threw it at some small targets that had a large one behind them, the rod divided into about one-hundred smaller rods that quickly pinned the small targets to the large one.

Getting out of his binding by skillfulness (or not, seeing as he had memorized Ichigo's kido weaknesses already) Kage spoke, "Those rods look slightly weak." He chided.

"Yeah I know, for some reason the 60's and up are really hard with this collar on." Ichigo admitted, in truth he had tried very hard –and succeeded to a large extent- to make his Rikujokoro strong.

"The spells 50 and up ought to be difficult in this state." Kage responded.

"You're right, Hado 63, Raikoho!" Ichigo called out creating a crackling yellow orb in his hand which he fired at the area that his Hyapporankan had affected. Failing, however, to achieve the desired result he asked Kage to set up another target and prepared to fire again.

"Hado 63, Raikoho." Ichigo again fired off the explosive lightning like spell. It created a small hole in the large target; he was aiming to blow half the clock away in one shot…

"Keep setting up more targets if you please, it looks like I need to practice this spell a bit." Ichigo requested.

"Very well." Kage responded and created numerous of afore mentioned targets.

It took Ichigo about fifteen more attempts but he finally got it down. He then used and practiced his Bakudo 63 for half an hour before deciding he would take a break.

As Ichigo left his inner world the first thing that greeted him was quantity of light… much less then is inner world. He then noticed the note on the floor.

'_What's this? Who would leave a note for a death row criminal… more importantly how did whoever did it do it? Might as well read it I suppose.'_ Ichigo ran all this through his head in good time. Moving over to the letter he picked it up.

_Greetings, Lord_

_The Spirit King asks that you go along with the execution. You will not perish, fear not. Eat this note after reading it._

_-His Majesty's personal servant, Kagane_

Reading it over until he memorized it Ichigo then ate the note as instructed after smelling it for poison. _'I wonder why they call the Spirit King 'His Majesty' or King for that matter.'_

'Perhaps the 'Spirit King' you saw was only an illusion or spokesperson.' Kage piped up from inside his mind.

'_It's not beyond the realm of possibility' _Ichigo conceded.

'Rest, wielder.' Kage instructed.

'_I will, I'm beat.'_ Ichigo lied down on the lifeless sekiseki floor and feel asleep.

**The next day**

Ichigo got up and quickly suppressed his reiatsu, knowing full well that no one would feel it unless they came into his cell, still; better to take no chances.

Finding himself still sore from the previous day's training he opted to do some stretches.

'_Morning, Toketsu Kage.'_ He mentally greeted his zanpakutou.

'How unusually formal of you.' His zanpakutou commented.

'_I have my moments… Or had.'_ Ichigo sighed as he found himself slipping into the pas-future that'll never happen- he corrected himself.

'I am not fond of clouds, wielder.' Kage said sternly.

'_Sorry, I do that when I'm not focused on something.'_ Ichigo sincerely apologized.

'Just don't let them get any farther then they did now.' Kage said slightly softening.

'_Trust me I don't like it ether.'_ Ichigo assented.

'Good, what will you do now?'

Ichigo stopped stretching for a moment and thought about it.

'_I'll go along with the letter if I can't make the Central 46 see reason.'_ He informed and then resumed his activities.

'We both know how it'll be, they won't.' Kage reminded.

'_Not by my lack of trying.'_ Ichigo asserted in a voice laced with determination.

'Good attitude, now will you train; or just wait for your escorts to come?' Kage asked his wielder.

In answer Ichigo slipped into his inner world with an ease that would make some jealous.

"I'll train." He smirked. "But I've been meaning to ask, why don't you have a physical form?"

"I need an Asauchi to inhabit." Kage replied.

"Oh! So I just need to see Nimaiya-san." Ichigo had met the royal guard long before he met the 'Soul King'.

"Just?" Kage asked with eyebrow raised. "He _is_ residing in the Royal Dimension, as I am sure you are aware."

"Yeah, but where else to go? The Academy… It probably has a lot of them to hand out to new students." Ichigo mused aloud.

"Yes, it would. Procure one soon wielder, you need it to use me properly outside." Kage commanded and then continued. "Now on to training."

"So, what first?" Ichigo asked.

"First we will work on your shunpo; it probably is very slow with the collar."

"Ok, not hard I'll just shunpo around." Ichigo responded and immediately began. He found it very hard to properly pump reiatsu into his legs. Not letting it get to him Ichigo experimented to see if there was a loophole.

**3 hours later**

"I'm beat." A very leg tired Ichigo announced after almost constant shunpo for three hours.

"Then rest, until they bring you food." Kage allowed.

"I'll do that, how was my shunpo, Kage?" Ichigo asked his spirit as he looked at him.

"It seems somewhat slow. It's probably a result of the collar and the fact that you're used to mixing in sonido." Kage gave the cold truth.

"Yeah… no more hollow powers anymore." Ichigo thought back to the whole fiasco.

Noticing the clouds Kage spoke up, "I understand your regret at losing your spirit, but I still don't like bad weather."

Heaving a sigh Ichigo answered, "I… I know. I don't know if I'd be sane without you Kage, thanks."

"Don't mention it, now go rest."

Ichigo slipped out of his mindscape and found to his satisfaction that there was now a mat, very thin, and was thankful for it as he slipped into his rest.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you have served your purpose. I have no need of you." A female voice spoke up.

"Thank for taking care of Aizen, but no loose ends." A hooded figure that Ichigo recognized as Kagane said this with a half-ounce of regret.

"What is this?" A bewildered Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"Your soul is to unpredictable Kurosaki-san, it has served its purpose and we have no further reason to run the risk. Therefore we, with a hint of regret, inform you that you must be utterly destroyed." The brown haired female informed him.

"And I'm supposed to take this lying down? I spit in your face." Ichigo said bitterly. _'I was just used huh.'_

"You don't have the power to resist." Kagane told him, still hooded.

Ichigo attempted to summon his zanpakutou, he tried kido, he tried hakuda and hoho, all to no avail; he was pinned in place by three cubes, one on each wrist and one at his ankles. The hateful collar was on his neck. He looked at his surroundings and saw to no surprise that he was at the Sokyoku stand, all the Captains he had met past, present and future were there.

"Do you have any last wishes or statements, Kurosaki Ichigo?" The ever commanding voice of Yamamoto-sou-taichou asked loud enough for all to hear.

"I do, I die proud, incomplete, lost, broken, and un-thanked. I die on a whim. I die with no one to mourn me, for that I am thankful, but also sad. Farewell." Ichigo said his little speech and looked forward with a gleam in his eyes as he rose to the horizontal bar of the execution stand. As he spoke the Captains just stood in their places emotionlessly.

The Sokyoku was activated and the massive phoenix opened its man sized beak and swallowed him whole into its fiery inferno of a belly.

'_Is this the sensation of dying by fire?' _Ichigo thought. _'No this is the feeling of impending doom.'_

Ichigo awoke sweating profusely and he turned onto his side and noticed some bread and water.

'_Too classic.'_ Ichigo chuckled to himself as he thought on how… normal bread and water was, if you were in a cell. _'Better then when those Arrancar gave me human meat to eat and then told me what it was just to see my reaction.'_

Ichigo finished his eating only a minute before Kyouraku and Ginrei came to escort him to the Central 46.

'_It's not usual for Captains to escort prisoners is it? Jii-san must be taking no chances.'_ Ichigo mused as they tied his arms behind his back and they slowly and wordlessly marched to the Central 46.

As they arrived it was clear that his escorts weren't leaving. _'Just like them to be worried about a collared shinigami. Not that they shouldn't be.'_ He thought.

They entered the chamber and he found himself behind a pulpit facing forty-six individuals who had their faces hidden. _'They better be glad I don't have an illusion zanpakutou or I might pull one from Aizen's playbook if it weren't for that note.'_

"Kurosaki Ichigo," A male voice began "You are arrested on the charge of murder of one Aizen Sosuke, also failure to answer all of Yamamoto-sou-taichou's questions and orders. What have you to say?" The 'What have you to say?' was only a pretense; they had no intention to listen to anything Ichigo said.

"Only this, the likes of the Gotei 13 and the Central 46 have no right no sentence me to anything." Ichigo announced defiantly.

"Insolence! You murder a trusted fukutaichou and say we can't execute you?" A different and very angry male voice almost jumped out of his chair in rage, murmurs of agreement could be heard.

Ichigo smirked; they walked right into this one, "Insolence! You think you have any right to execute me?" Truthfully he just wanted them to hurry the execution up so that he could see what the Soul King had planned. In spite of his dream he decided to go along with the note.

'_Oh boy…'_ Kyouraku thought, _'does he want to get executed? Seems so. Why?'_ He was not, however, stupid enough to voice this.

"I see no reason to listen to this." A practically seething female said.

"Are we in accord?" Asked a calmer male.

"Yes." Forty-five of them said while the other was busy coughing.

"Take him back to his cell, this is pointless." The man who had first announced the hearing declared.

They left the grounds of the Central 46 before Kyouraku spoke.

"Ichigo-san, why did you act like that?"

"I wanted them to move up the date, I hate waiting." Ichigo answered calmly.

The ever amazingly perceptive Captain in a pink haori saw that there was something more, "Waiting for what?"

Looking over at him Ichigo smiled, "Don't tell this to anyone but the Captains but I got orders to go along with it." Ichigo said, wanting to give the impression of an order driven man.

"From whom?" Shunsui asked.

"Someone you know about but haven't met." Ichigo responded cryptically.

Ginrei just walked in his Kuchiki silence; however, he was listening very closely, though you couldn't tell.

Ichigo's response sent Kyouraku into a thoughtful silence until they arrived at the Senzaikyu. After untying Ichigo and locking him in his cell, the two Captains left to tell Yamamoto about what little Ichigo had told them.

Upon arriving at the First they went right to Yamamoto's office and told him.

"'Someone you know about but haven't met' is it?" Yamamoto pondered. "I doubt we'll get the right answer by just sitting here all day, return to your duties."

"Hai, sou-taichou." Both said simultaneously.

'_Wanted to hurry up the execution did he? Maybe the thing about the orders was a clever bluff to make us think he has something planned.'_ Yamamoto mused as they left.

**With Ichigo**

'_Man they don't feed you much.'_ Ichigo thought as he felt hunger.

'They don't think you'll be using or your reiryoku in any way shape or form so that is to be expected.' Kage supplied.

'_Makes sense, I'll come for training when I'm no longer hungry.'_ Ichigo told Kage as he lied down on his cot.

**19 days later**

"Todays the day Kage, we've come a long way." Ichigo said as he thought about the last three weeks.

"We have indeed wielder. I only hope that the Soul King is trustworthy." Kage replied as his hair blew around.

"I've got a good feeling; I hope Gin didn't get treated badly because I told him so much of my story."

"Still a kind man I see."

"To my friends, yeah. Enemies, not so much." Ichigo retorted.

"Do not fear whatever comes, even death. Fear looks bad." Toketsu Kage reminded his wielder.

"Yeah." Ichigo said simply and went back to the real world to wait for whoever would come to bring him to the Sokyoku.

In a few minutes they did come. It was Kiganjo –who thought going to the execution was a waste of his time (no fight and all that) - and Kisuke; to Ichigo's mild surprise he was indeed wearing the Captain's haori.

"You guys ready?" He asked them humorously.

"We ought to be asking you." Kisuke replied nervously.

'_Huh. Not like Hat-N-Clogs is he?'_

"I am, so I figured I might as well be sure you are." Ichigo replied as he got up and stood between the two.

"Why don't we kill him in a fight if he's worth it and if he's not why go through all the trouble of walking miles with him just to finish him?" Kiganjo asked.

"Soul Society is that way." Ichigo answered. After this they walked in silence, because the Urahara of this era was too timid to start a decent conversation with someone other than Yoruichi.

At the Sokyoku all the Captains and lieutenants were lined up as Ichigo stood on the little platform in front of them.

"Do you have any last requests or statements, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Yamamoto asked, loud enough for all to hear.

"We'll see what they plan to do." Ichigo decided against the 'lame little speech' from his dream 20 days ago.

"Very well." Yamamoto spoke and the Kido Corps started releasing the ropes that sealed the Sokyoku when not in use as Ichigo started to rise up, arms held out on either side, a white cube at each and another cube at his feet.

As Ichigo sat there waiting for the Sokyoku to vaporize his soul he thought of his zanpakutou's words 'Fear looks bad.' As the last rope fell away the true form of the Sokyoku could be seen after a huge burst of reiatsu.

The mighty blazing phoenix, Kikouou.

A/N: That's chapter three! I really love cliff hangers when _I_ am the author.

Ichigo was really stupid to go along with this don't you think?

I hope I painted Central 46 in a bad enough light.

Next time… Nope not saying.


End file.
